Focusing on reducing substance abuse in Cavan teenagers

A group which aims to reduce substance abuse among young people will launch an online support hub next week.

Monaghan and Cavan Youth Substance Support (MaCYSS) is a youth (12-18 years) and family alcohol and drug service delivered by Alcohol Forum Ireland.

The initiative incorporates both community development and clinical intervention at local level and supports, engages, and builds capacity across Cavan and Monaghan to reduce and prevent alcohol and other drug harm among young people.

A screening of MaCYSS’s new animation project which is funded by Healthy Ireland Cavan will specifically target young people and their parents with the message that alcohol is harmful to the developing brain, with a tag line of ‘Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not happening’.

Patricia Boyle, Service Manager MaCYSS told the Anglo Celt that statistics compiled following a survey carried out by Planet Youth indicates a sharp increase in the number of parents giving alcohol to their teenage children.

“The earlier that young people take alcohol, the more at risk they become,” she continued before adding that awareness around the issue is crucial. “The fact is that parents who give their teenagers alcohol at home doesn’t lead to more responsible drinking and so this launch is about providing parents with the tools to just say no.”

Meanwhile, the study Growing up in Cavan - Planet Youth 2023 found that teenagers who report high levels of unsupervised leisure time regularly are six times more likely to use cannabis.

The survey carried out among young people in Fingal (2,677); Cavan (882); and Monaghan (845) identified that 35% of those surveyed tried alcohol at the age of 13 years or younger; 63% tried alcohol in their lifetime; 13% were drunk in the previous 30 days.

The survey also highlighted that 12% of respondents get their alcohol from a family member while 32% have tried smoking an e-cigarette in their lifetime. 18% smoked an e-cigarette in the previous 30 days; 10% tried smoking at the age of 13 years or younger; and 3% smoke cigarettes daily.

Also highlighted is the fact that 8% used cannabis in the previous 30 days while 18% indicated that they have used cannabis in their lifetime. The launch will be held on Monday, July 29 at 11am in the organisation’s Cootehill offices.