Teenagers have a bad reputation when it comes to misuse of alcohol. But one group of young people is meeting to tackle the reasons behind the problem, writes Róisín Ingle.

We've heard it before from concerned parents and politicians: due to the lack of affordable facilities in their local areas, more and more young people are getting their teenage kicks through drink and drugs. But while we are used to hearing adults bemoan this widely accepted fact of life, these days it is the young people themselves who are grappling with the issues and demanding change.

Tomorrow around 200 people under the age of 18 will gather at the Dáil na nÓg event in Dublin to discuss both the lack of facilities available to them all over the country and the misuse of alcohol and drugs that results. The delegates include conscientious teenagers such as Jessica Simpson (17) - no relation to the American pop singer of the same name - who is part of her local Comhairle na nÓg (youth council) and one of several members from the Waterford area who will be travelling to Dublin.

"If you don't go out binge drinking these days you are considered abnormal," says Jessica. "There are a number of reasons but mostly it's boredom because of a lack of things to do."

Where she lives she says there are many sporting facilities but "if you are not interested in sport then you have few options". She is interested in finding more ways to entice young people away from bars and into designated "hang-out" places such as the Squashy Couch Café in Waterford, which was set up by her local health board.

An adolescent health and information project, it provides various resources such as a free counselling service and information on sexual health. Crucially free tea or coffee are also provided, which means young people don't have to worry about money when they get together in the cafe.

"It's a great project and we should be thinking more about ways to provide spaces for young people around the country which don't involve them having to spend money," she says.

Does she think Dáil na nÓg can make a difference, or that politicians such as Minister for Children Brian Lenihan who is expected to attend, will act on the suggestions of young people?

"I'm a firm believer," she says. "Teenagers are always portrayed in a negative light but there are loads of us out there who care about making a positive contribution to society and who want to give our opinion on how we can do that. If legislation regarding young people needs to change then we are the best people to be talking to."

One of the legislative issues that will be discussed at Dáil na nÓg tomorrow is the possibility of lowering the legal age for alcohol consumption - something Shane O'Sullivan (16), a delegate from Cork, is against.

"There are already people being served in off-licences who are under 18, and I think lowering the age to 16 will just make it easier for even younger people to get drink," he says. In his area he says there are "large numbers" who stay out drinking just because there is nowhere else to go. He is not sure if Dáil na nÓg will make a difference, but remains hopeful.

"Part of me doesn't know what to think but then I suppose if they didn't want things to change they wouldn't have set it up," he says. "When we got together in Comhairle na nÓg we were able to get a youth health service in the area so it made me feel that we can make a difference despite our age."

Haris Pusker (16) was just seven years old when he came to Ireland as a refugee from the Bosnian war and is delighted with the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of his Irish peers. He says on researching a project on facilities with his Dáil na nÓg colleagues in the Fingal area of Dublin, they discovered there is disillusionment among young people who want more imaginative amenities, and that the provision of sporting activities may not always be the answer.

"What we found is that there are some facilities in the area such as the library, or sports facilities, but for those who don't play the mainstream sports there is nothing unless you have money to spend on pool, bowling or video games at the Leisureplex," he says. He proposes the building of free resources such as skate parks and recording studios.

"Local television is another resource young people would be interested in. And if things can't be free they should at least be affordable and offered at cost price. That makes more sense," he says.

Interestingly, Haris is also concerned that young people in Ireland have lost interest in their traditional culture and says this needs to be addressed.

"As a Bosnian my culture is very important to me, but my friends seem to have no interest in their traditional music or customs, or even the language, which I find shocking," he says. "Young people can learn a lot through those things and should be encouraged more."

He suggests there are lessons to be learned too from life in his former hometown of Banja Luka. "It's hard after the war and young people are struggling, but when I go back to Bosnia the young people respect their parents and older people more," he says.

"There is hardly any anti-social behaviour and I think it's because there is a stronger fear of authority which you don't find as much here."

On the subject of alcohol and drugs, one teenager who didn't want to be named said anyone questioning the ease at which young people can access drugs and alcohol, especially in Dublin, was not living in the real world.

"When you think of drug dealers, what usually comes to mind is a thirtysomething shady-looking character," she says. "But it isn't true, because teenagers are buying drugs off teenagers their own age or younger. They are like perfectly normal teenagers but ones who have got so caught up in drugs that they deal them to other teenagers to get money for their own supply."

Ciara McTeigue (15) from Leitrim chose to explore this subject, in particular the issue of alcohol abuse, as her contribution to Dáil na nÓg.

"I see it a lot with younger people robbing it from their parents' cabinets or getting older people to buy it. They bring it on the bus on the way to the youth disco, which is really the only thing to do in our area, and it only happens once a fortnight," she says.

"I think the onus is on parents to be more aware of what their children are doing and on schools to educate us about the consequences of drinking and how to say no from a younger age," she says.

According to Ciara, Leitrim is one of the worst areas in terms of facilities. "There is no bowling alley, no cinema and the only swimming pools are members' only," she says. "We have to go miles away to find something to do, so you can understand why some people go off and get drunk."

Like all the delegates she is concerned that the views of people her age can often be dismissed but is looking forward to being able to put Minister Lenihan on the spot tomorrow.

"He won't know what questions we are going to ask him, so there is no way he can be prepared," she laughs.