The Institute of Public Health in Ireland was established in 1998. It is supported by the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health & Children in the Republic of Ireland. The Institute is playing a strategic role in supporting and strengthening work for public health. It is influencing the direction and content of public policies in favour of health. 

To ensure that it makes maximum impact the Institute’s multidisciplinary staff are committed to working with others particularly those whose work concentrates on the important themes of addressing health inequalities and influencing policy for public health. 

The Institute recognises the significant harm that arises from the misuse of legal and illegal drugs and acknowledges that reducing the harm caused to the individual, their family and the community by drug and alcohol misuse is a big challenge to public health.