A growing number of Travellers are experimenting with illegal drugs as their community's culture becomes increasingly fragmented.

That, and a greater prevalence of alcohol and illegal drug misuse among male Travellers in particular, is among the key findings of research conducted for the Western Region Drugs Task Force by Marie Claire Van Hout, School of Health Science, Waterford Institute of Technology.

Ms Van Hout's report, Substance misuse in the Traveller community – a regional needs assessment, has been presented to John Curran, TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs at the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs.

In it, the Waterford academic writes of how alcohol and other drug use among Travellers in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon has increased, though not yet at the same rate as in more urban settings along the eastern seaboard. Depression is reported as a leading cause of problematic drug and alcohol use among Travellers.

The report – based on interviews and focus groups with almost 60 members of the Travelling community and 45 service providers – found that problematic alcohol use is increasingly common, particularly among Traveller men and single Traveller women. A particular issue reported by Travellers concerned the way in which the discrimination they face in certain licensed premises and the availability of low-priced alcohol in retail outlets encourages them to drink in a more uncontrolled way at halting sites or other outdoor locations.

The most commonly used illegal drugs among Travellers appear to be ecstasy, amphetamines, cannabis and cocaine with increasing concern about the use in some cases of more than one substance. Among the combinations identified were alcohol with cannabis; alcohol with benzodiazepines (psychoactive prescribed drugs such as Valium, Mogadon and Librium); benzodiazepines with Solpadeine; Solpadeine with alcohol; cocaine with alcohol; Red Bull with Anadin; Zamadol with Coca-Cola and painkillers with alcohol. According to agency workers interviewed for the report, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy use appear to be increasing, particularly among Traveller men and young people while prescription drugs are increasingly being misused by Traveller women.

Travellers report that illegal drug taking is most widespread among young Traveller men and least common in older Traveller women. A particular challenge arises as Traveller women are more likely than men to access education and healthcare programmes providing information on dangers associated with drug use. General practitioners (GPs) are usually the first point of contact for Travellers seeking help with drugs-related issues.

The stigma traditionally attached to drug use by members of the Travelling community gives rise to attempts to conceal levels of drug addiction within Traveller families. The research also found that unemployment dramatically increases the risk of substance experimentation and abuse due to high levels of boredom; excessive free time; stress; depression; domestic crisis and poverty. Ms Van Hout said the research pointed towards a need for specific interventions that take account of Traveller identity and culture. "There is a real issue for individual Travellers in accessing the sort of supports that are needed to help them tackle their drug problem. For instance, Travellers find it very difficult to work in groups which are a norm in residential treatment settings. There are also few positive role models within their peer group and community who have successfully dealt with addiction.

The Waterford researcher said there is a clear and pressing need to develop services for Travellers that take account of their culture. "Travellers who spoke to me expressed a wish to be 'talked to and not talked at' and also identified a need for information on services for drug users to be distributed proactively rather than made available on request. They felt primary healthcare workers with an outreach role could work effectively. It was also clear that they would like to see interventions geared towards each gender and various age groups.

"In addition, the research identifies a need to adjust residential detoxification facilities to better accommodate Travellers who have real difficulties attending for this type of treatment. There is also a specific requirement for outreach and educational work with Traveller women to cover the dangers associated with misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

"Travellers have a particular set of values and beliefs that pass from one generation to the next. These need to be borne in mind when framing what information provision and interventions will work best. One of the recurring themes of the research was an appetite among Travellers for more structured work to help tackle the problems that do exist as there is growing recognition that drug abuse is a problem issue that has gotten more serious within the Travelling community."