I am very aware of the value of relevant drug education. The Health Promotion Unit of my Department is involved in the development and dissemination of a wide range of substance abuse prevention programmes targeted at selected groups. These include:
Drug Questions Local Answers — a community based training programme which examines drug problems at local level and seeks to provide local answers.
Parent Education on Alcohol, Drugs and Family Communication — a programme developed by the Health Promotion Unit with the Cork Social and Health Education Project of the Southern Health Board, which aims to enhance the skills and personal attributes of parents and their children with a view to the long-term prevention of drug and alcohol misuse.
Solvent Abuse — a programme developed in association with the National Youth Council of Ireland, which aims to assist young people in personal skills development thereby enabling them to be informed and decisive in relation to solvent abuse offers. It is suitable for use by the informal education sector such as youth and community leaders and also in the formal education sector, special schools and by the juvenile liaison scheme of the Garda Síochána.
"On My Own Two Feet"— a programme developed in conjunction with the Psychological Service of the Department of Education with assistance from the Mater Dei Counselling Centre. It is a comprehensive drug education programme, with the overall aim of enabling students to develop their ability to make informed decisions about the use of drugs in their lives.