Warning After Cocaine Snorting Kits Spotted For Sale In City Centre

Monday, 8 September 2025 16:34

By Martin Osborne

A city centre shop is offering the kits, which contain a mirror, razor blade, snorting tube and spoon - paraphernalia associated with cocaine use.

There's a warning about so-called "cocaine kits" spotted for sale in the capital.

A city centre shop is offering the kits, which contain a mirror, razor blade, snorting tube and spoon - paraphernalia associated with cocaine use.

It comes as figures from the Health Research Board show a more than 250 per cent rise in people seeking treatment for cocaine addiction since 2017.

According to the report, there has been fivefold increase in the number of people across Kildare seeking treatment for cocaine addiction.

In 2017, there were 28 cases of cocaine treatment in Kildare, accounting for 1.9% of the national total.

This number increased to 44 cases in 2018, representing 2.0% of the total.

In 2019, the number of cases rose slightly to 47, or 1.8% of the national figure.

The upward trend continued in 2020, with 61 cases (2.3%).

A significant jump occurred in 2021, with 99 cases reported, making up 3.0% of the national total.

The increase persisted in 2022, with 127 cases (3.1%), and by 2023, the number of cases had reached 137, accounting for 2.8% of the national total.

Addiction counsellor Austin Prior says people are turning a blind eye to it now.

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