An increasing number of drug treatment centres are seeing clients for whom cocaine is the main problem drug, according to the umbrella group Citywide.
The organisation, which represents 28 treatment centres across Dublin, also said the vast majority of them have reported an increase in violent crime and crimes involving firearms in their areas since 2004.
More than a third (10) of the projects said crack cocaine was also available in their area and five were working with clients who were also using crack.
The increase in cocaine consumption is attributable to both the falling price of the drug over the past two years as well as the perception that it is not a "problem" drug, said Anna Quigley, co-ordinator of Citywide.
"In just two years there has been a massive, massive shift. Whereas two years ago it was very much the second drug, heroin had levelled off and cocaine is growing enormously.
"That is not to say heroin has gone away - it is still a massive problem and in the last few months there has been an increase in heroin seizures."
Treatment centres are particularly worried about the health impact of cocaine use on their clients, with 39 per cent of projects reporting a "sharp increase in clients using cocaine presenting with abscesses and wounds because of poor injecting habits.
"Mental health problems are also on the increase among this group", with problems including depression, anxiety, stress, psychotic episodes and attempted suicide.
The social impact of increased cocaine use is noted as including more family breakdown than was evident when heroin was the most prevalent drug, widespread violence, and "families who are living in fear of their children being shot or killed. Many of these are currently in hiding."
Ms Quigley said the findings paralleled data from gardaí indicating their seizures of cocaine had increased by 400 per cent in the same two-year period.
The projects were "shocked and angry" that there had been no increase in the allocation to the National Drug Strategy in this month's Budget, compared with last year's.
"This is unbelievable at a time when the terrible impact of the drugs crisis on our communities is making the headlines every day of the week. Last week we saw the tragic deaths of six heroin users because of their drug use."
