HSE and Mayor make appeal ahead of Junior Cert results

HSE and Mayor make appeal ahead of Junior Cert results


Neill O’Neill

WITH the results of last June’s Junior Certificate exams due out tomorrow (Wednesday), the Health Service Executive (HSE) has warned that parents are constantly underestimating how much their children are drinking and experimenting with drugs.
The statement is made by Dr Bobby Smyth, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with the HSE, who adds that parents also underestimate the strength of their own influence on their children’s habits, and how they feel about alcohol and other drugs.
This strategically timed move comes at the end of a week when Mayor of Castlebar, Cllr Ger Deere, wrote to all secondary school principals in the county advising them of a plan that has been put in place by the Joint Policing Committee of Castlebar Town Council to strictly regulate the Junior Certificate Disco that is taking place in The Welcome Inn Hotel on Wednesday night. Councillor Deere has asked the principals to communicate these plans to all students who will receive their results tomorrow.The arrangements - made in conjunction with the hotel management and An Garda Siochana in Castlebar - include the issuing of pre-sold tickets as well as bus inspections and designated drop-off and pick-up points. All buses are expected to depart before 11.30pm on the night and the Joint Policing Committee of Castlebar Town Council are asking bus and other transport operators from right across the county to co-operate with Gardaí and adhere to this plan.
“An agreement has been made with the Welcome Inn Hotel and An Garda SíochΡna to ensure that the event will allow students to enjoy themselves while ensuring their safety at the same time,” Cllr Deere said. “These arrangements represent a strong and visible effort to avoid any disruption on the night of the Junior Certificate Disco in Castlebar, that will see students from many areas around the county attending the event. The safety of the students themselves is of paramount importance, while we also wish to ensure that no disruption occurs to local businesses and residents.”
As part of its ongoing public awareness campaign on alcohol and legal or illegal highs, the HSE also went public this week, to encourage the parents of students receiving their Junior Certificate results to discuss the dangers of underage drinking or legal or illegal drug use with them.
“Parents are the most important influence on their children and what parents say and do will have a major effect on young people’s relationship with alcohol,” said a spokesperson for HSE West.
“The HSE would like all students to have an enjoyable and safe evening celebrating their results, and we are recommending that parents have an honest and open conversation with their children about drinking alcohol or taking legal or illegal drugs.
Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to have alcohol problems later in life, which clearly provides more reasons than ever before for parents and other adults to be concerned about the effects of underage drinking on children, and to take steps to prevent and to reduce underage drinking.”