Aislinn Alcohol Survey - Alcohol as a ‘Gateway’ Drug
Wednesday 17th June, 2009
Three quarters of people think that alcohol is a “gateway drug” but 9 out of 10 keep alcohol in their home.
In a recent survey of 961 people (aged 18+), commissioned by the Aislinn Centre 76% said they believed that young people aged 15-18 who drink alcohol regularly are more likely to also experiment with illegal drugs. However 9 out of 10 respondents said they have alcohol in their home.
Director of Aislinn, Declan Jones said:
“These figures are concerning. It’s certainly positive that such a high percentage of people acknowledge that alcohol is a gateway drug for teenagers but it is alarming to see that such a large amount of people have alcohol in their homes. Despite the fact that they acknowledge a potential for harm they are still exposing their teenagers to this gateway drug in massive volumes.”
9 out of 10 respondents agreed that there is a current problem in Ireland with alcohol abuse among 13-18 year olds.
“Parents need to be aware that by storing alcohol in their home they are offering their children a route to this gateway drug. We need to be conscious of the messages we are sending out to our children in relation to alcohol. It is not enough to say that young people who drink alcohol regularly can then experiment with drugs and then keep bottles of wine or spirits or beer in the house for teenagers to lay their hands on.”
The Aislinn Centre is the only drug-free residential centre in the State providing residential treatment for young people who are dependent on alcohol and/ or drugs aged between 15 and 21. The Centre provides a 42 day residential programme supported by a two-year after care programme which consists of two-hour weekly meetings. The Centre has an open referral policy and is based in Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny.
The research was carried out by Lansdowne.
Author: Aislinn
Published on: June 17, 2009 at 2:20pm