Parents and their teenage children want more openness in the home when addressing alcohol and drugs abuse, a study in the Mid-West has found.
Up to 74% of teenagers said they felt more comfortable speaking freely with their parents about the problem when taking part in workshops, which were held as part of the HSE funded study.
The Let’s Learn About Drugs & Alcohol Together study was piloted among second-year students in secondary schools across the mid-west between January and May last.
It was launched by the Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan, at Mary Immaculate College of Education in Limerick.
Nearly 75% of the students said they enjoyed the sessions working with their parents and, after completing the programme, felt comfortable to talk to their parents if they had questions about drugs
Over 57% of the teenagers sid they found the workshop relevant to them.
On drug awareness, 66% of the students strongly agreed that the workshops increased their knowledge of cannabis and solvents and 60% strongly agreed that they had learned more about the dangers of alcohol.
Of the parents, 93% said working in the shared workshop environment with their child during the study was successful for them.
Souce: Jimmy Woulfe, Irish Examiner, 24/11/14
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