Working on the front line in an addiction rehabilitation centre means that I see, first hand, the harm that substance addiction can have on individuals, families and the wider community. However, substance addiction and the problems that accompany it are not confined to the kind of programmes I work with.
Forget about the stereotypical image of skinheads in brand name hoodies as portrayed on prime-time television, substance addiction is all around us and at every socio-economic level.
In my opinion, Ireland is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Recent media reports stated more than 1,000 people have died in Ireland from alcohol-related illness in the past 12 months. We are a nation of addicts at the mercy of an ambivalent Government with a neo-liberal agenda which panders to the demands of a self-regulating drinks industry.
Policymakers ignore the fact we have a serious problem with substance abuse which ultimately poses a greater threat to the economic and social fabric of Irish life than any bank crisis or property collapse ever could.
There are 2.48 million people in Ireland who drink alcohol and 54 per cent of those drink harmfully. There were no tax increases on alcohol in this year’s budget, even though pricing is widely identified as an effective means of reducing use. The Public Health Alcohol Bill, announced in October 2013, aims only at reducing consumption and falls short of addressing the social factors behind alcohol abuse.
Teenage drinking
As one might expect, Irish teenagers are more likely to be heavy drinkers than teenagers in other EU countries. We are failing our young people by not responding to the normalisation of drug and alcohol misuse among teenagers.
What we need to do is invest in education programmes from a very young age and provide social experiences that do not revolve around drinking. Adults – and parents in particular – need to take the lead role. They must realise they have the power and responsibility to change the cycle of alcohol addiction by engaging in community action programmes which regulate the availability of alcohol to young people.
Source: Derek Byrne, Irish Times, 15/12/14
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
