Parents Guide on Alcohol and Drugs

HSE Alcohol and Drugs “Parent’s Guide:Practical Advice to help you communicate with your child about alcohol and drugs”. This guide offers practical advice to parents and other adult carers on how to talk to teenagers about alcohol and other drugs.

The Parent’s Guide is available to download or to order free of charge from www.askaboutalcohol.ie/parents.

The HSE alcohol information website askaboutalcohol.ie offers a comprehensive range of information to the population at large on pertinent issues related to drinking and related harms. The aim of our prevention activity is to encourage parents to support young people in understanding the factors influencing their decisions around alcohol and drugs so that they feel empowered to make informed choices about such substances for the sake of their own well-being and that of their friends and families.

The Parent’s Guide forms part of a prevention toolkit which will also include a revised Junior Cycle SPHE and a new Senior Cycle SPHE lessons on alcohol and drugs which will be published in 2019 and all schools will be notified as soon as they become available.

The following are websites for information on alcohol and drugs:

Askaboutalcohol.ie provides impartial information on all aspects of alcohol related harm and can be used as a resource for teachers in exploring information on alcohol with their students.

Drugs.ie is the HSE website for all other drugs.

Parentline offers support through a number of ways. Phone on 1890 927277 or 01 873 3500.

HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline is a confidential service offering advice and information on any query and has both a freephone Helpline (1800 459 459) and an email support service (helpline@hse.ie).