WORRY AT RISING DRUG ABUSE AMONG TEENAGERS

ONE in six youngsters outside Dublin has used drugs and more than half of
them drink, according to a disturbing new survey by the Irish Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Two out of five of those who said they drank alcohol were less than
15-years-old and most of the drinkers (62pc) simply did it for ``the buzz''
or because they wanted to experiment.

But ISPCC Chief Executive Cian O'Tighearnaigh revealed: ``A significant
number of those using both drugs and alcohol do so because of peer pressure
and in order to forget their problems.''

The study of almost 2,000 children aged eight to 18 in Monaghan, Donegal
and Kilkenny found that nearly half believed that adults didn't understand
them.

The research was carried out to help set up a network of child drop-in
centres for advice and counselling. AIB yesterday committed ``very
substantial'' sponsorship over the next three years to help the ISPCC
increase the existing ``STEPS'' network from 12 to one in each county.

The study also showed that 52pc of youngsters smoked at some stage and more
than half of that number were still smoking at the time of the survey.
There were significantly more female smokers than male, while a quarter of
the smokers believed they were addicted to cigarettes.

Asked who teenagers could talk to in a time of trouble, 68pc said they
would talk to their mother, but the next highest preference was ``another
young person'' ahead of fathers, siblings and girlfriends/boyfriends.

``This provides substantial evidence of drug and alcohol abuse in smaller
provincial towns,'' said Mr O'Tighearnaigh. ``We would be very concerned
about a survey where half of a group of under-18s say they consume alcohol
and nearly 20pc use drugs.

``The survey tells us that young people decide who they are and what they
are in reference to other young people. That is why it is so important that
the STEPS centres have a huge element of participation by children and are
not just run by adults for children.''

``The volunteers are all over 18 but there are children all over the place,
and we get a lot of referrals from schools, juvenile liaison officers and
health boards.''

The survey showed 52pc consumed alcohol and 17.4pc had used
non-prescription drugs at some stage. Hash was the most commonly used drug
followed by solvents, acid, ecstasy and magic mushrooms. Heroin was the
least used drug in the survey.

Some 11pc of those who drank said they did it to forget their problems,
12pc did it because their friends did and 10pc felt it made them grown up.
Just over a quarter said they wanted to experiment while 35pc did it for
``the buzz''.

Some 56pc of those who took drugs did it to experiment and 22pc did it for
``the buzz''.

Almost 70pc believe that adults did listen to them, but 50pc believed they
weren't understood by adults.

The three main areas for conflict with parents were over not doing enough
study, not being allowed out and watching too much television.

Mr O'Tighearnaigh said that the STEPS service was the face-to-face
equivalent of the Childline telephone service, and with the opening of new
STEPS centres in 1998 the number of visits from children should increase by
50pc to 22,500.

The ISPCC yesterday opened a new unit at 30 Bride Street in Dublin's south
inner city, housing a STEPS advice and counselling centre as well as a
Children's Rights Information Bureau.