Illicit drug use in Limerick City: A stakeholder and policy analysis using multiple streams model

Background: The changing drug situation in Ireland has led to the development of various drug policies. This paper aims to use Limerick City as a case study to examine approaches to policy development.

Methodology: The study is qualitative and uses a hybrid technique that combines document, content, and stake-holder analysis. Kingdon's multiple streams model underpins this study. In addition, guidelines for the systematic search for grey literature were adopted as the search strategy.

Results: Problem Stream: Illicit drug use and its related problems have changed. The increasing availability of drugs, increasing usage and changes in the types of drugs being used have led to increased drug‐related crimes, adverse health outcomes and elevated demand for treatment services. Local drug policies and initiatives emerge by recognising drug‐related problems in the region.

Policy Stream: The current national drug strategy 2017–2025 which informs action plans in Limerick is the first to focus on a unified health approach. Some national policies have evolved to ensure that guidelines meet current service needs. However, these changes have occurred in some cases with no clear actions.