Drugs/alcohol task force seeks to identify concerns
By Mary Dennehy
THE community is invited to engage in a number of public consultation sessions which will help to inform and shape Tallaght’s drug and alcohol strategy for the next four years.
Staged by the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Task Force (TDATF), the consultations will be very general in format, with service users, service providers, project workers, youth groups and members of the general public invited to raise their main concerns around drug and alcohol use in the area.
Grace Hill, TDATF co-ordinator, told The Echo: “With the help of the community we want to try and identify what people feel will be the main issues between now and 2020.
“The last strategic plan in 2013 identified patterns of intergenerational drug use among families, with many concerns around the use of opiate based drugs.
“However, over recent years the culture of drug use has changed in the area.
“There is a huge amount of experimentation with new drugs among young people, many of whom class their drug use as recreational.
“Poly-drug use is also a major concern, with people using a diverse range of substances including alcohol.
“In relation to alcohol, we also have people who are very chaotic with their drinking and others who see no problem in drinking two bottles of wine on a Saturday night.”
She added: “The consultations will be very general, we don’t want to pre-empt the issues.
“We want to know what people’s concerns are and the only agenda is for the consultations to be inclusive and to get people to participate.
“What goes into the strategy will help us to respond to emerging trends and shape services, awareness and educational programmes etc. over the coming years.”
Three public consultations will be staged including a Public Consultation on May 26 at 7pm in the Glashaus Hotel, Tallaght, and a Youth Consultation (up to 25 years) on May 30 at 6.30pm in the Big Picture Youth Café, beside the Tallaght Luas Stop.
On June 9 at 11am, a consultation will be held for anybody who has accessed addiction services in the area and those working in social inclusion, community development, community drug work or healthcare in the Glashaus Hotel.
An online survey is also available online at: www.getfeedback.com/r/e0BfWXkz.
To confirm attendance at any of the consultations call Breda Byrne at 4649306 or email breda.byrne [at] sdcpartnership [dot] ie
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