Synthetic Drug Shock: Poisoning Cases Double in Just Three Years - 11/08/2026

The number of suspected poisonings involving synthetic drugs reported to Ireland’s National Poisons Information Centre has doubled in just three years.Doctors are warning that these so-called designer drugs can be far more powerful than traditional substances and, in some cases, may not even show up on routine hospital drug tests.New figures show 30 enquiries were made to the National Poisons Information Centre about synthetic drugs last year, compared with 15 in 2023, while almost 200 people have been discharged from acute care in the past two years after requiring treatment.There are also growing concerns about drug-induced psychosis, with medics warning that hundreds of new synthetic substances are now appearing on the market.Investigative journalist with The Journal Investigates, Noel Baker, has been looking into the issue and joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.