Written answers

Tuesday, 17 November 2009

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

National Drugs Strategy

10:00 pm

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the role of local drugs task forces in informing young persons about the dangers of recreational drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41798/09]

Photo of Conor LenihanConor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The role of the 14 Local and 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces is, inter alia, to facilitate greater local/regional focus on drugs issues and a more co-ordinated response to them. A key element in this is education, prevention and awareness raising. There are a significant number of projects being funded through the Drugs Task Forces with an education and prevention focus. These projects, while varying in type, aim to create greater societal awareness about the dangers and prevalence of drugs and to equip young people with the skills and supports to make informed choices about their health, personal lives and social development. The Department of Education & Science is represented on the Drug Task Forces and it is also open to Drug Task Forces to liaise with schools in their area through the various projects they fund.

In addition, many of the projects funded through the Drugs Task Forces focus specifically on drug awareness, ranging from local drug awareness groups to other initiatives such as "Awareness Weeks". Such measures have proven to be effective as many of them focus on the issues particular to their own localities. With particular regard to cocaine usage, heightening awareness of the risks associated with the combined use of alcohol and cocaine was a fundamental element of the national cocaine awareness campaign undertaken by the HSE in 2008. Allied to this, Drugs Task Forces, with funding provided by my Department, undertook local campaigns at that time to dovetail with the national campaign.

The recently launched National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 places particular emphasis on prevention. Various prevention and education interventions are planned, focusing on young people, both in the school and the non-school setting, as well as on the overall population. A sustained range of awareness campaigns is envisaged as part of this approach.

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