asked the Minister for Health if in view of the ever-increasing problem of alcoholism and drug abuse among our young, he will outline his plans to alert people to these twin hazards.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
9.
The Health Education Bureau have in recent years been carrying out a range of activities designed to alert and educate young people to the twin hazards of alcoholism and drug abuse. It is the intention of the bureau to continue and to intensify these activities in the future.
The bureau will continue to co-operate with the Department of Education in (a) promoting an awareness of substance abuse to teachers through information days and courses; (b) in developing materials related to drug education for use in schools; (c) in co-operating with the Curriculum and Examinations Board in supporting their proposal to include health education in the curriculum for second level schools.
The bureau will also continue their promotion of an alcohol education pack called "Living and Choosing" for use in post-primary schools and they will co-operate with the Irish National Council on Alcoholism in promoting responsible drinking habits among the general population. It is also intended that the bureau will continue their programme of providing information to the general population on drug and alcohol-related issues through a lecture service made available through a joint arrangement with health boards.
In the coming year the bureau will promote community drug education programmes, following completion of pilot work already in progress on a project entitled, "Drug Demystified".
Finally, the bureau will continue to organise seminars and meetings aimed at preventing substance abuse. They will assist national organisations and agencies in this same work and their library and information services will continue to offer literature and information on request.
Is it not a fact that when, in the last couple of weeks the Minister introduced the first of his three Children Bills, a golden opportunity was missed, particularly in relation to alcohol abuse? I and many others looked in vain for a section in relation to under-age drinking in that Bill. It seems that the whole ethos of this country militates against seeking a solution to this problem. Are we so fixated on drug abuse that we have totally forgotten the other much more common and more serious problems of alcohol abuse and under-age drinking?
I assure the Deputy in relation to under-age drinking and related questions that in the revision of the law relating to hours of opening of licensed premises and other relevant matters the Minister for Justice will be taking that into account. The only area in which I am involved is legislation relating to tobacco abuse and the sale of cigarettes to under-age children and so on. That comes within my remit and I have included that in the draft legislation which I am preparing in that area.
We are now passing to question nominated for priority.