The Global Drug Survey 2016, which was run here in conjunction with Hot Press, reveals that 9.8% of Irish users are buying drugs on the internet.

Of these, 90.9% have purchased illegal pills and powders, 28.8% prescription medications and 31.8% NPS, AKA Novel Psychoactive Substances, which are the new wave of legal highs.
It’s proof that Irish customs are powerless to stop significant amounts of drugs arriving here courtesy of the postal and courier systems.
“People buy online because it’s convenient, for the range and quality of products and in some cases because it represents value for money,” says GDS coordinator Dr. Adam Winstock. “With street dealing remaining a key target for drug squads, doctors being increasingly wary of prescribing irresponsibly and the purity of many illicit drugs being compromised through adulteration, the appeal of obtaining drugs online is obvious.”
Whilst 9.8% is a significant figure, it’s way behind the 44.5% of French people and 28.9% of Italians who buy online and suggests that what we're seeing is the merest tip of the internet iceberg.

* The Global Drug Survey 2016 was conducted in association with global media partners including Hot Press in the Republic of Ireland