Resources needed to help students impacted by alcohol or drugs, says Cork teacher

Further resources are needed to allow secondary school teachers to help students who might be experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs, a Cork teacher has said.

Speaking to The Echo, John Byrne, a Cork Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) standing committee representative, said that the amount of students using drugs and alcohol has increased.

“The findings of the latest Growing Up in Ireland survey show that by age 17 to 18, 30% of students have tried cannabis, 90% have consumed alcohol and a smaller but notable minority have dabbled in substances such as cocaine or ecstasy.

“Early intervention is the key in this, teachers are on the frontline and can see a change in students, whether it’s academically, in their mood or in how they interact with the other students.

“Teachers notice these things, but we’re only trained to refer it and unfortunately there’s a lack of resources when it comes to guidance counselling and referrals thereafter, people can be stuck on the usual long waiting lists," said Mr Byrne

Stigma

“With teenagers, there is peer pressure into trying something but there is also a stigma if someone might have a problem with substances. Admitting there’s a problem to someone is so important, and sometimes if there’s one teacher they trust that can make a huge difference.

“If we look at Growing Up in Ireland, drugs seem to be becoming more readily available, it started in Dublin in the 70s but has travelled to other cities and smaller towns, and now drugs are very prevalent in the countryside too," he added.

“If students haven’t been educated on the dangers of these things, peer pressure can very easily take over. Young teenagers can have a great sense of adventure but it’s important they are aware of the dangers.” 

Uncomfortable

However, he said that many parents have chosen to opt their children out of the class, meaning they are not receiving this education: “Some parents feel uncomfortable with certain elements of SPHE.

“The ASTI thinks that the new syllable deals with a lot of really important topics that help people to make better decisions – of course parents have the right to opt out of something, but there was a lot of misinformation and disinformation about the RSE (relationships and sexuality education) last year. People with a particular agenda spread a lot of inaccuracies that upset people.” 

The ASTI has called for an increased allocation of guidance counsellors, professional development for teachers to assist them in dealing with the complexity of today’s classrooms and improved mental health, family support and youth services, ensuring timely referrals and early intervention.