Public Attitudes Towards Alcohol and Drug Prevention in Ireland: Findings from a National Survey
Abstract
Alcohol and illegal drug use are significant public health concerns in Ireland. While epidemiology of their use is well described, trends are evolving, and evidence on public attitudes towards prevention and perceived opportunities for this is limited. More information is needed to inform a targeted public health response. Building on an epidemiological assessment of drugs and alcohol use and related harms in Ireland, a nationally representative online survey of Irish adults aged 16 years and older (n = 1,577) was conducted in December 2025 using quota-sampling and demographic weighting. It examined use of and attitudes towards drugs and alcohol, exposure to and views on prevention and perceived harm. Cocaine and heroin were cited as the greatest community concerns, followed by harmful alcohol use, the latter of greatest concern among young people. 61% identified drugs being too easily available as a significant local problem. The Health Service Executive (HSE) and community groups were the most trusted sources of prevention information (83% each); social media ranked lowest (32%). Overall, 6% reported participation in an alcohol or drug prevention programme in the past year, rising to 18% among 16-24-year-olds. One in three reported exposure to alcohol or drug prevention messaging, primarily via television and social media. Among women pregnant in the previous year, 43% received advice to avoid alcohol during pregnancy; 28% reported receiving no advice. 70% of survey respondents supported funding prevention activities. These findings highlight prevention opportunities for drug and alcohol-related harms in Ireland and will inform a national health needs assessment and the development of a new national drug and alcohol strategy. They also provide an evidence base, grounded in public perspectives on prevention, trusted information sources and community concerns to guide intervention focus and strengthen a whole-systems HSE Public health response.
Key messages: • Alcohol and drug use are significant public health concerns in Ireland.
• Strong public support exists for alcohol and drug prevention in Ireland.
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BibTeX
@article{kearney2026public,
title = {{Public Attitudes Towards Alcohol and Drug Prevention in Ireland: Findings from a National Survey}},
author = {ET Kearney and DT O’Donovan and A Sheehan and K Dunphy and C Neill},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.2047},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.2047},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Public Attitudes Towards Alcohol and Drug Prevention in Ireland: Findings from a National Survey
AU - ET Kearney
AU - DT O’Donovan
AU - A Sheehan
AU - K Dunphy
AU - C Neill
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.2047
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.2047
AB - Alcohol and illegal drug use are significant public health concerns in Ireland. While epidemiology of their use is well described, trends are evolving, and evidence on public attitudes towards prevention and perceived opportunities for this is limited. More information is needed to inform a targeted public health response. Building on an epidemiological assessment of drugs and alcohol use and related harms in Ireland, a nationally representative online survey of Irish adults aged 16 years and older (n = 1,577) was conducted in December 2025 using quota-sampling and demographic weighting. It examined use of and attitudes towards drugs and alcohol, exposure to and views on prevention and perceived harm. Cocaine and heroin were cited as the greatest community concerns, followed by harmful alcohol use, the latter of greatest concern among young people. 61% identified drugs being too easily available as a significant local problem. The Health Service Executive (HSE) and community groups were the most trusted sources of prevention information (83% each); social media ranked lowest (32%). Overall, 6% reported participation in an alcohol or drug prevention programme in the past year, rising to 18% among 16-24-year-olds. One in three reported exposure to alcohol or drug prevention messaging, primarily via television and social media. Among women pregnant in the previous year, 43% received advice to avoid alcohol during pregnancy; 28% reported receiving no advice. 70% of survey respondents supported funding prevention activities. These findings highlight prevention opportunities for drug and alcohol-related harms in Ireland and will inform a national health needs assessment and the development of a new national drug and alcohol strategy. They also provide an evidence base, grounded in public perspectives on prevention, trusted information sources and community concerns to guide intervention focus and strengthen a whole-systems HSE Public health response. Key messages: • Alcohol and drug use are significant public health concerns in Ireland. • Strong public support exists for alcohol and drug prevention in Ireland.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -