A week of drug prevention
By Tara O'Liaith
This week saw the launch of European Drug Prevention Week. The
European Commission initiative lasts from 15-22 November.
The theme of the week is Multidisciplinary Approach and Drug
Prevention: Awareness Raising in Society and Partnerships. The
aim is to heighten awareness of the dangers and effects of drug
misuse, and to reassure parents, professionals and young people
that help is available..
In Dublin, the Week was officially launched by the Minister for
Health and Children Brian Cowen last Sunday in the National
Basketball Arena, Tallaght.
The Week has seen a steady flow of events throughout the city.
The Merchants Quay Project held a special service in honour of
all those who have suffered at the hands of drugs, an arts
exhibition featuring work by clients and Friday sees the launch
of a special comic with a drug prevention message. The comic was
developed with the assistance of the Arts Group, clients of the
project.
Friday also sees the launch of Adventure in the City, a game
developed by staff and mambers of ARISCO in Lisbon, Portugal with
funding from the European Commission, The staff of Crosscare DAP
in Dublin have now brought it to Dublin.
Included in their list of events for the week, Ballymun Youth
Project holds a conference on Saturday entitled Leading the Way;
Promoting Local Participation in Responding to Drug Misuse. The
conference will be held in Dublin Castle and attended by over 200
people. Guest of honour is President Mary McAleese.
The Eastern Health Board's events include a video for parents on
drug prevention, eight seminars, a series of open Narcotics
Anonymous meetings and a newsletter from the Ballyfermot area.
The highlight of the Ringsend area's events is two performances
of a play entitled Where Have All the Spoons Gone? written
specially for the week by a local woman and performed by the
area's own Drama Group, Watersedge.
Although the European Drug Prevention Week is aimed at informing
and educating people it's also about strengthening, promoting and
supporting the good work carried out across cities and countries
each day of the year, not just this week.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)