Irish people are among the biggest cocaine users in the world, according to a new UN report.
The global study found one in every forty people here reported using cocaine in the previous year.
The study carried out by the UN Office ON Drugs and Crime found that Ireland trails only Spain, the Netherlands and Australia for its use of cocaine.
Over 2.4 per cent of the population admitted to using the drug in the space of a year in Ireland.
While Australia accounted for the highest use of cocaine in the world - with 4.2 per cent of the population using the drug over the same period.
The report raised concerns over the increased demand for the drug here - and whether it will lead to further violence among criminal groups.
It referenced reports into the violence and intimidation connected with the dealing of cocaine at a community level.
And a potential new trend where children as young as ten are 'participating in intimidation practices'.