Dangers of drugs highlighted to young people

A campaign focusing on the dangers of drugs targeted at young people, particularly those aged 14 to 17 years, was launched today by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland.

Recent research shows that over one in four school children have been offered drugs and for most of these young people they were first offered drugs at 14 years of age. This research highlights the need for an ongoing programme of public information to make young people aware of the dangers of drugs. The campaign includes a series of television advertisements that were pre-tested with young people in the target age group to ensure they not only appealed but were credible too. To support the television advertising almost 100,000 copies of the information booklet, 'Your body, your life, your choice', will be distributed to post-primary schools for all fourth, fifth and sixth form pupils.

Rob Phipps, Senior Health Promotion Manager for the Agency, said: "It is important that young people have accurate information about drugs and that they get this information at the right time, in other words, sooner rather than later. While the booklet covers a wide range of drugs, the television advertising focuses on three - Ecstasy, LSD and Speed. All drugs are dangerous but these ones are especially risky and research shows they are particularly popular drugs with the 14-17 year age group."

The campaign also has the full support of the Northern Ireland Drugs and Alcohol Strategy Coordinator, Jo Daykin, who said: "I welcome the screening of these advertisements, the fact that many young people are using drugs as part of their social and recreational lifestyle does not make this a safe or acceptable practice. It is only by collectively working to take the 'cool' factor out of drug taking do we have any hope of safeguarding the lives and health of our young people ".

The television advertising campaign will run from today until 17 March 2002 and the booklets will be distributed to schools over the next fortnight. Anyone working in the field of drug misuse or those with a particular interest in this issue can find the latest accurate, detailed information on-line by visiting www.drugsalcohol.info a website created by the Health Promotion Agency as part of the Northern Ireland Drugs and Alcohol Campaign.

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Notes to the editor: Both this campaign and the drugs website are funded by the DHSSPS as part of the Northern Ireland Drugs and Alcohol Campaign.

Statistics quoted from the Young People's Behaviour and Attitudes Survey carried out by the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency published January 2002.