Over 12 per cent of those who took part in a survey on drug use said they had taken cannabis, while 25 per cent said they knew someone with a drug problem.
The survey was carried out by the Drug Misuse Research Division of the Health Research Board and the results are published today. Over 1,000 adults were interviewed for the survey, which took place between February and April 1998.
Some 77 per cent said all illegal drugs were equally harmful to health, while over 40 per cent said drug users could become dependent on drugs after just one experience. Half those surveyed said regular use of cannabis was just as dangerous to health as regular use of heroin.
Ms Rosalyn Moran, one of the authors of the study, said there was a danger in regarding all illegal drugs equally. "Scientific research has shown that some drugs are more addictive than others. If people see them as all part of the same thing it is not conducive to a greater understanding of the problem," she said.
Asked about young people taking drugs, some 53 per cent of those surveyed said it was "normal" for young people to try drugs at least once. Some 70 per cent said society was too tolerant towards drug users and over half said tougher sentences for drug users was the answer to the drugs problem.
Those surveyed were generally in favour of treatment for drug users, with nearly 64 per cent saying medically-prescribed heroin substitutes, such as methadone, should be available to drug addicts. Over 66 per cent said society should provide syringes and needles free to drug addicts to avoid the spread of HIV/AIDS.