Drugs: Some 14 per cent of young people regularly use illicit drugs, mainly cannabis, with 44 per cent having tried them and 82 per cent reporting they are easy to get hold of, The Irish Times/TNS mrbi youth poll shows.
However, habitual drug use is actually lower among the 23 to 24 age group than among younger people, suggesting that some go through a phase of drug use but then stop.
Cannabis and ecstasy are most commonly used, with the numbers regularly using or having tried harder drugs such as heroin, cocaine and speed very low.
Some 77 per cent say cannabis is easy to get hold of, with 39 per cent having tried it and 11 per cent using it regularly.
Among those aged 15-17, 27 per cent have tried cannabis. This rises to 41 per cent of those aged 18 to 19, 44 per cent of the 20 to 22 age group and 49 per cent of those aged 23 to 24. But, while almost half of young people have tried cannabis by this age, just six per cent regularly use it and there are more regular users among younger people.
The drug is used regularly by 14 per cent of those aged 20 to 22, 11 per cent of 18 to 19 year-olds and 10 per cent of 15 to 17 year-olds. While 15 per cent of males use it regularly, just six per cent of females do.
Less than half of one per cent regularly use heroin, with just three per cent having tried it. Ecstasy is regularly used by three per cent, and speed and cocaine by one per cent. Some 12 per cent have tried ecstasy, 10 per cent speed and nine per cent cocaine. Some 57 per cent say ecstasy is easy to get hold of, 37 per cent say it is easy to get cocaine and 36 per cent say it is easy to get speed.
Some 90 per cent of young Dubliners find drugs easy to get hold of, compared with 82 per cent in the rest of Leinster, 80 per cent in Connacht/Ulster and 77 per cent in Munster.
Experimentation with drugs is significantly higher in the capital, where 59 per cent tried some illicit drug compared to 43 per cent in the rest of Leinster, 37 per cent in Munster and 36 per cent in Connacht Ulster.
Regular usage follows a similar pattern, with 16 per cent of young Dubliners using drugs regularly, 13 per cent in Munster and Connacht/Ulster doing so, and 11 per cent in the rest of Leinster.
Meanwhile, a bare majority opposes the legalisation of soft drugs such as cannabis, with 51 per cent disagreeing, 44 per cent agreeing and five per cent giving no opinion.
Some 73 per cent say that many people of their age are using drugs, 20 per cent disagree and seven per cent give no opinion.