In the final part of our five-day series on drugs, NICOLE RYAN, whose brother Alex died after taking a synthetic drug, says we need to educate young people about the dangers of drugs and how their choices can impact everyone

Addiction is a public health crisis, says Dr Sharon Lambert of UCC. As part of our week-long series, she says we must now ensure we all recognise it as a health issue to reduce stigma and support those who need help

There is still a misconception that drug problems exist only within deprived urban areas, says IRENE BERMINGHAM. As we continue our five-day feature series on drugs, Irene says we must talk about the common, but complex issues of mental health and drug addiction that exist in every rural townland across Ireland

Suffering from anxiety, DANIEL O’SULLIVAN used alcohol as a crutch. In day two of our series on addiction, he talks about his spiral into drink during his college years — and how he finally found the help he needed

Today, we start a five-day series, where people share their battles with addiction, or how drugs and alcohol have impacted their family. Today James Leonard, who first used heroin in a prison holding cell, tells us about his experience and how he has turned his life around