Damien Canning

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Country: Ireland
Background: BA Geography
Research Project:Substance abuse in Ireland: Irish vs. non-Irish

BACKGROUND: This study looks at the subject of substance abuse comparing the attitudes of Irish adolescents to their foreign national counterparts.
METHODOLOGY: This was an exploratory study, based on group interviews, which sought to understand the situation from the point of view of adolescents using focus group discussions as the data collection tool. It allowed the researcher to explore the issue of substance abuse in detail. Formal analysis was the process used for analysing the transcripts.
RESULTS: Peer pressure was identifies by participants in this study as a main influence in explaining why young people start using or abusing substances. Substance abuse was seen as having a negative impact on one’s health and environment. Anti-social behaviours such as fighting or drink driving were identified as negative consequences of substance abuse. Education was depicted as been a key intervention to combating substance abuse in Ireland.
CONCLUSION: There is a clear consensus from this study that SPHE needs to be successfully implemented into schools across Ireland. On a much broader scale, it is crucial that drugs (legal or illegal) continue to be a main focus of the Irish government strategies.