School’s out for summer: how to talk to your teen about alcohol and drugs

HSE Press Release

Monday, 12 June 2023

First national ‘Parents Matter’ webinar takes place on Wednesday, June 21 2023 at 7pm

Pick up tips on how to have a useful conversation about alcohol and drugs with your child

Book your free place on www.drugs.ie/parents

Building on the success of the HSE’s drugs.ie first webinar for parents in North County Dublin earlier this year, a national webinar titled ‘Parents Matter: the role of parents in substance prevention and education’ will take place on 21 June at 7pm to provide information about alcohol and drugs for parents across Ireland.

This free webinar for parents of children and adolescents will highlight the important role that parents can have on young people’s attitudes and behaviours towards substance use and provide information regarding local support services. Further information and a registration link to the webinar for parents is available on www.drugs.ie/parents.

Professor Bobby Smyth, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, HSE Addiction Services, said: “Our aim is to support the parents of children and adolescents across different areas in Ireland. While parents are just one of many influences upon substance use by adolescents, we know that parents are the most important single influence.

“Families have the potential to act as a major protective force in the lives of children and adolescents. Mutually supportive family relationships generally influence the prevention of substance use among young people.”

Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy, said: “Drug prevention and education is a key priority in the Government’s health-led approach to drug use. It protects children and young people from the harms of drug use and increases resilience, life skills and healthy life choices. This parents’ webinar series can contribute to drug prevention and education by assisting parents to positively influence their children’s values, attitudes and behaviours relating to drug use.”

This online event will support parents to understand:

• The current drug and alcohol landscape, including the latest drug trends such as cannabis edibles and other substances of concern
• Their role in supporting healthy decision making by their children
• The reasons why we seek to delay or avoid young people’s entry into the world of alcohol and drug use
• The steps which parents can take to reduce the likelihood that their son or daughter develops a substance use problem
• The HSE Adolescent Addiction Service’s experiences in working with young people
• The information and support options for concerned parents in their local areas

Six steps to protecting your child from alcohol and other drugs*

1. Build a close relationship
2. Set boundaries and stick to them
3. Know what they’re doing
4. Don’t give alcohol to children under 18
5. If you drink, set a good example by taking a low risk approach
6. Talk openly and honestly about the risks of using alcohol and drugs

Free copies of the HSE’s Alcohol and Drugs - A Parent’s Guide are also available for parents to order on healthpromotion.ie.