From Department of Health; Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton has today published the Report on the Consultations with Young People and invited the younger members of the public to make submissions to the newly-established Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use before June 30.
Minister Naughton has submitted the report to the Assembly ahead of its meeting this weekend. It provides insight into the extent to which drug use negatively impacts the personal freedoms of young people and their ability to feel safe and able to enjoy themselves in the places where they live, learn and socialise.
While there is a high level of awareness of the detrimental influence of drug use on their lives, families and communities, the report reveals that young people nonetheless turn to drugs for a variety of reasons, including peer pressure, boredom and the misguided belief that drugs can help them to deal with anxiety and other symptoms of mental illness.
Minister Naughton said:
“My hope is that this report will provide the Assembly with some insight as to the lived experiences, thoughts, and opinions of young people on drug use in Ireland. Regardless of where they live, young people are affected by drug use personally, or by witnessing drug use by friends, family members and other people in their communities. I believe it is vitally important that their voices are heard and considered by the Assembly.
“I believe there is an onus on society to have particular regard to protecting children and young people from the harms associated with drug use and drug supply. This requirement is set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Actively engaging with young people about the impact of drugs on their lives and those of their friends and families will support good policy making. This consultation report is a valuable input to the deliberations of the Citizens’ Assembly on the rights of the children and young people with regard to drugs.
“While this report has been informed by young people from across the country from various backgrounds and localities, I am encouraging any young person with a view on drug use in Ireland to engage with the Citizens’ Assembly to ensure that the voices of the next generation inform the Assembly’s deliberations and indeed government policy on what is such an important issue facing society. The public consultation being run by the Assembly closes on 30 June so there is still plenty of time for young people and youth groups, regardless of age, to have their say in shaping Ireland’s response to the issue of drugs.”
The young people who participated in the consultation were also asked for their recommendations for measures to reduce drug use and drug-related harm, with their answers reflecting strong support for non-judgemental treatment, legal reform, education and awareness, and better community-based youth-specific facilities.
The report was led by the Department of Health and facilitated by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The consultations with young people were supported by Comhairle na nÓg (child and youth councils in the 31 local authorities, which give children and young people the opportunity to be involved in the development of local services and policies) (and Hub na nÓg, the national centre of excellence established under the National Strategy for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision Making.
The consultations targeted two distinct groups: young people drawn from the general population; and young people living in areas that experience the impacts of drug use more acutely. The consultations adopted a health-lead approach that focuses on achieving better health and social outcomes for people impacted by substance misuse.
The report has now been submitted to the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use which is being asked to consider the legislative, policy and operational changes the State could make to significantly reduce the harmful impacts of illicit drugs on individuals, families, communities and wider society.
Welcoming the publication, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman added:
“This report is an important contribution to the discussion on drug use. It is essential that the thoughts and opinions of our young people are given due regard in the policy decisions that can affect their lives. I hope the Citizens’ Assembly on Drug Use carefully considers the findings."
The consultations were conducted between November 2022 and March 2023, facilitated by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Hub na nÓg on behalf of the Department of Health. Face-to-face consultations took place with 22 young people drawn from the general population, while 33 young people, directly impacted by drug use on a variety of levels, completed written surveys facilitated by youth workers in three different services.
Objective 5 of The National Strategy for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision Making provides for the DCEDIY to maintain its leadership role to champion and promote children and young people’s participation.
The priority action to realise this Objective was the establishment of a Children and Young People’s Participation Hub, as a national centre for excellence. Named Hub na nÓg: Young Voices in Decision Making, the centre of excellence was established and launched in November 2017.
Hub na nÓg as a resource is now available to support all government departments, State agencies and other relevant bodies in implementing the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making.