Dr. Eamon Keenan:

I will make a couple of comments. The issue around prevention is a really important one, which is why one of the strategic priorities following the mid-term review is around strengthening of the prevention of drug and alcohol use and the associated harms among children and young people.

To that end, Know the Score needs to be rolled out within our secondary school system. This is the first senior cycle resource that addresses the topic of alcohol and drug use. It was launched in 2019. Training for teachers began in January 2020. Seventy teachers were being trained face-to-face, but that had to be paused due to the Covid pandemic. Since its launch, we have sent out 800 copies of Know the Score to schools. We need to get back to the training of teachers in this regard because there is a key element to be played in that in regard in terms of prevention.

The Senator asked about the helpline. In 2021, there were 4,400 contacts to the drug and alcohol helpline from people seeking support and help. Some 2,200 of those contacts were in regard to alcohol and the remaining 2,200 were in regard to drugs. The enhanced funding for the helpline will allow us to recruit additional staff members and to expand the hours of availability of the helpline into the evening and, maybe, the weekends as well. That is to be welcomed. The Senator also made a point about cocaine and its use within society. We would hope that the initiatives which come towards us for funding in the upcoming call will address cocaine use in its broadest sense.