We are an initiative made up of people from many walks of life who wish to play a part in making their parish community a better place to live. This is done in many ways.
We realise that to help prevent problems with alcohol and drug problems in our communities it will take partnership, with us all playing our part. This is the aim of our Initiative
Parishes play their part through many different events. It is our vision to support parishes that wish to help their community to respond to the prevention of harms from alcohol or other drugs; we also strive to enable people in parishes to know how they can protect themselves and others from harm of alcohol and drugs
There are many ways that parishes can play important parts, even from simple awareness raising of local issues of alcohol misuse, hanging posters informing of supports in local community, training young people with peer education programmes and parents with information, or playing bigger parts in the life of the youth of our parishes by establishing youth facilities and youth café etc, which can become safe places were young people can feel safe among their peers and community.
We also strive to remember that it is part of our call to be our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers, and a small response at parish level is a caring pastoral way of safeguarding our young people, family and community from the harms that can be caused by drug and alcohol misuse.
On a national level our Initiative will continue to work and advocate towards a ban on advertising alcohol in sport and at youth events. We also call for restriction on alcohol advertising on T.V and Radio. As the E.U Charter 1996 states “All children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages”.
Pastoral Response to Substance Misuse
Level 1 Response (recommended for all parishes) Click here for pdf
Basic Drug / Alcohol Response in Parish from Clergy / Pastoral Councils
The parish may consider some of the following items that can with little effort play a part an important part in prevention drug alcohol problems in the community.
- Receive Information Leaflets on drugs and alcohol for display in Parish Community (enquire from Coordinator / Parish Outreach)
- Receive & display Posters on local drug/alcohol supports for display in Parish Community
- Information for use in Liturgies (prayers of faithful, homilies) on alcohol / drugs –Temperance Sunday / Lent /
- Information to put in parish bulletin
- Speakers available to give talks in church / parish
- Promote the use and value of the SPHE / Walk Tall Substance Prevention
- Programme in local Schools
- Promote the value of local schools having substance use policies
- Training sessions available by IBDI
- Have a list of relevant local/county service supports available in relation to drugs/alcohol and addiction related (see www.drugs.ie )