'No data' on whether drug prevention lessons are being taught in schools

The study said Ireland had the partial foundations of an effective prevention system in society generally, but that current efforts were fragmented and insufficiently co-ordinated.

It is unknown whether, or to what extent, drug prevention education is being taught in schools, a major study has found.

The Health Research Board (HRB) research said there was no data available on the extent to which the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) programme, which includes drug prevention, is “actually delivered” in schools.

The study said Ireland had the partial foundations of an effective prevention system in society generally, but that current efforts were fragmented and insufficiently co-ordinated.

It said that while policy and legislation was strong in relation to alcohol, the drinks industry maintains “a strong influence”.

It said this has been seen in its successful efforts “to reduce the potentially positive impact” of health-led legislation, such as the postponement of applying health labels to alcohol products.

The Review on Prevention Systems in Ireland examined 220 drug prevention projects in the country and compared them to international standards set down by the UN and World Health Organization.

The study said that while prevention is covered in the National Drugs Strategy 2017-2025, assessments to date suggest that, in practice, it has not been regularly monitored, reviewed, or adjusted.

It noted that the Prevention Strategic Implementation Group, set up in 2023 after a mid-term review of the drugs strategy, found that prevention was “widely viewed as under-resourced and lacking strategic focus”.

The HRB report said: “As SPHE is not an examined part of the curriculum, there are no data available on the extent to which it is actually delivered in schools or whether all topics [including substance use] are covered."

The report concluded: “Currently, it is unknown whether prevention is typically included in school curricula or, when it is, whether it includes a sufficient number of sessions to be truly effective.” 

Outside of schools and in society at large, the report said there was good geographic and demographic coverage of drug prevention programmes.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

It found that the majority of programmes targeted adolescents, with much fewer interventions targeting early life and at-risk families.

It said national drug policy should prioritise developing a national strategy approach to effectively support a prevention system.

“This should include the expansion of prevention interventions in order to capture under-represented groups and areas of delivery, as well as support for the wider delivery of existing interventions that have been found to be effective."

The report said it was “surprising" how few prevention interventions were identified in cities outside Dublin.

It said it was possible this reflected a sampling problem, but that, even if that was the case, it would still indicate that prevention interventions in other urban areas are largely disconnected — both socially and organisationally — from the agencies largely responsible for responding to substance use issues in these areas.

“Ensuring the presence of effective prevention activities in all urban areas in Ireland is critical,” it stated.

The report said there was “extensive knowledge” on the ground among drug prevention workers, who demonstrate “a high level of commitment”.

It said these people often fund training and learning programmes themselves, and that they would benefit greatly from support and formal training opportunities.

Launching the report, minister of State for the National Drugs Strategy Jennifer Murnane O’Connor said she has approved the establishment of a drug prevention lead post in each of the six HSE regions.