How alcohol can harm others besides the drinker
by Deirdre Mongan
The burden of alcohol-related harm is often experienced by those around the drinker, including family members, co-workers and innocent bystanders. The types of harm can include injury, neglect, property damage and public disturbances. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has published a report on the extent of this harm in Ireland.1 The report examined alcohol harm to people other than the drinker in three settings – the general population, the workplace, and children in families – using survey data from two national drinking surveys conducted in 2006 and 2010. Both surveys had a national representative quota sample of approximately 1,000 adults who were interviewed face-to-face. For the purposes of the study reported here, data from the two surveys were combined to give a total of 2,011 respondents.
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Forced labour and the drug trade
by Johnny Connolly
Forced labour in the production of cannabis is the subject of a research report by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI).1 According to MRCI, this phenomenon involves human trafficking for the purpose of criminal exploitation. The study examined trafficking for cannabis production ‘specifically focusing on cases and reports where Vietnamese and Chinese nationals were involved’ (p.1). The research is part of a wider European study led by the Anti-Slavery International (ASI) Race in Europe project. ASI has identified a trend in victims being trafficked from Vietnam to Ireland via the UK in recent years.
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Is the role of alcohol in accidental deaths under-reported in Ireland?
by Suzi Lyons
Media coverage of alcohol policy and alcohol-related issues generally falls into two categories. Thematic coverage deals with statistical facts and the effects of alcohol on society and the individual, while episodic reporting is a news story that reports on the person and their circumstances. It appears that most media coverage of alcohol-related risk is episodic and tends not to address the role of alcohol in the incident.
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Alcohol and mental health among school students
by Deidre Mongan
Alcohol can contribute to the development of mental health problems as well as exacerbating pre-existing mental health difficulties. A recent Irish report, Alcohol and youth mental health – the evidence base,1 profiled drinking behaviour and psychological health in 6,085 12–19-year-olds in 72 randomly selected post-primary schools in Ireland to determine the association between drinking behaviour and mental health and to identify risk and protective factors associated with adolescent drinking. Participants completed the My World Survey – Second Level (MWS–SL), which contains a battery of psychometrically reliable instruments assessing risk and protective factors of psychological health.
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Alcohol Forum conference – alcohol’s harm to others
by Deirdre Mongan
As part of National Alcohol Awareness Week, the Alcohol Forum held a conference entitled Alcohol’s harm to others: when their drinking becomes your problem in the Convention Centre, Dublin, on 2 April 2014. Minister of State Alex White TD delivered the opening address. He spoke about the damaging impact of alcohol on the family, the workplace, and society as a whole and said that reducing alcohol consumption in Ireland is not just a task for government, but that it is also an issue where local communities can take a lead.
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How attitudes to alcohol affect judgements about sexual behaviour
byDeirdre Mongan
The Rape Crisis Network Ireland commissioned NUI Galway to undertake a qualitative study to explore university students’ attitudes to alcohol use and consent to engage in sexual activity1 and to build on previous Irish research, which demonstrated a high rate of co-occurrence of rape and heavy drinking by perpetrators and/or victims. A total of 187 young adults in an Irish university took part in the study; four focus groups were held with 24 females, three focus groups were held with 20 males, and an online survey using open-ended questions was completed by 143 students.
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Forensic Science Laboratory analyses street-level heroin and cocaine
by Johnny Connolly
An analysis of heroin and cocaine seizures submitted to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) between April 2010 and March 2012 sought to assess the current status of these particular drug markets, ‘in order to track changes in the markets, and for comparison to reported European data’.1 The study also sought to establish whether purity plays a role in the pricing of street drugs.
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Preventing and responding to overdose in homeless accommodation in Limerick
by Suzi Lyons
The voluntary agency Novas Initiatives is the largest provider of homeless accommodation in the Mid-West area. McGarry House was opened by Novas in 2002 in Limerick city and provides homeless accommodation for 30 individuals and long-term supported housing for 37 individuals.
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