The risk of drug usage by young people is higher during summer, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has warned. The society yesterday launched a new drugs awareness initiative based at drop-in centres for children.
Ms Caroline O'Sullivan, the ISPCC's assistant director of services, said surveys carried out by the organisation had repeatedly shown that young people identified alcohol, drugs and tobacco as the greatest problems they face. "We would urge parents to be especially vigilant of their children over the summer months as there are more people about and drugs become more widely available. The children are more at risk of dabbling in drugs because they are out of school, out of their usual structured activities and are not as closely supervised," Ms O'Sullivan added.
European statistics showed Irish children were the youngest in Europe attending drug-treatment centres and she said it was "very concerning" that children under 12 were drinking alcohol. The new ISPCC drugs awareness programme will provide resources and information to teachers, youth workers and childcare professionals. In all, 2,728 children availed of the STEPS drop-in centre services run by the ISPCC in 1999, according to figures released by the society yesterday.
Children made 11,387 visits to the 13 centres around the State which allow them direct access to information and counselling, according to Mr Paul Gilligan, the ISPCC's chief executive. "The STEPS centres are just that - a step. They don't deal with serious problems directly but refer them on," he added.
The AIB has sponsored the centres for a number of years. The society is also set to receive £50,000 funding from the Department of Tourism for five additional workers to run a drugs-awareness programme over the next three years.
Resource workers will operate an outreach programme from centres in Limerick, Clonmel, Dublin, Wexford and Monaghan, which will adopt a preventative approach and educate young people on the effects of drugs.
The Bride Street STEP centre in Dublin registered the highest number of visits last year with 2,120, a 100 per cent increase on 1998. In Wexford, where the pilot centre was established 10 years ago, 1,397 visits were registered.
The centres are open twice a week, offering courses in personal development and self-esteem; relationships and sexuality; first aid and babysitting. Staff at the centres also provide counselling, help with changing schools, child abuse prevention information and run anti-bullying campaigns.
Mr Gilligan said parents largely encouraged their children to come to the centres and volunteers encouraged children to tell their parents when they were attending the centre.