TV ad to cast light on drug abuse
The initiative is part of a three-year government drug awareness programme aimed at providing information to both parents and children.
Research carried out by the Department of Health at the end of last year showed that while three in four parents talked to their children about drugs only two in five felt they were informed enough about the subject.
Speaking yesterday, Health Minister Micheál Martin, said: “Our current campaign forms part of a three-year campaign, aimed at ensuring that people know that information and help is available.
“It is also designed to ensure people know that such information can play an important role in dealing with drugs.”
The campaign will carry television ads on RTÉ1, Network 2, TV3, TG4 as well as Sky One, Sky News, Sky Sports and E4 over the next four-week period.
The advertising is the first part of this year’s campaign, which will also see the distribution of booklets for parents and children.
The campaign follows a record year in 2003 for drug seizures, with the estimated value of all hauls breaking the 100m barrier for the first time.
The provisional estimate is more than double the total haul of 48m in 2001 and five times the total haul of 20m in 2000.
Just over a week ago, gardaí seized a consignment of ecstasy which was worth up to 5m in Co Laois.
Last October, a national survey of drug use found that 19% of all adults, including 26% of young adults aged 15-34, had taken an illegal drug at some stage in their lives.
The three-year Drug Awareness Campaign run by the Department of Health is part of the Government’s National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008.
This strategy aims to significantly reduce the harm caused to individuals and society by the misuse of drugs, by focusing on prevention, supply reduction, treatment and research.
“It is imperative that we understand the reasons behind the person’s drug usage and inform ourselves with the facts before we confront them,” said Mr Martin.
“Different people use different drugs for different reasons so we just cannot put everyone who tries drugs into the same category.” The drugs survey, carried out by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) suggested that most people who took illegal drugs, took only cannabis.
In addition, it showed that most of those users smoked cannabis at some stage in their lives, but hadn’t done so within the last year.
Mr Martin said research showed that raising the level of awareness in relation to drugs misuse could play a significant role in dealing with the problem.
For more information ring the campaign line on 1850 719 819 or log on to www.drugsinfo.ie.
