Successful Projects for €1.5m Drug Prevention and Education Funding Scheme

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton has announced the successful projects for a new €1.5 million drug prevention and education funding scheme.

This scheme supports Priority 1 arising from the mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery which commits to strengthening the prevention of drug and alcohol use and associated harms among children and young people.

Speaking in Cork, where two of the successful projects are based, Minister Naughton said, \”this funding announcement marks a significant milestone in the provision of targeted funding towards drug prevention. Prevention is a cornerstone of the National Drugs Strategy – Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery. That is why I feel it is imperative that we support evidence-based initiatives that engage with people who may be at risk of using drugs’ in a variety of contexts – in our schools, communities, universities, and the night-time economy, through timely preventative interventions. A monitoring and evaluation framework will be developed for the successful projects, and those exhibiting a positive impact will be expanded to reach additional groups.\”

\”The successful initiatives already have strong track records in drug prevention, and I’m delighted that, with our funding support over the next three years, they can continue to improve the lives of people by reducing the use of harmful drugs and alcohol from an early age.\”

Applications were received from Drug and Alcohol Taskforces, HSE/Community Healthcare Organisations (CHOs), academic bodies, and civil society. Following an assessment process by a panel of national and international experts, five initiatives were deemed successful:

• DASH Mobile Night-Time Economy Project (Cork Sexual Health Centre)
• E-SHIELD UCC (University College Cork)
• Building SAFER Communities through Evidenced Based Environmental Prevention at a Community Level (Alcohol Forum Ireland)
• Know the Score Evaluation (Health Service Executive)
• Clondalkin Prevention LAB (Clondalkin Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force)

Funding of up to €100,000 a year for three years has been granted to each of the five initiatives providing prevention programmes in school, third-level education, youth work and community-based settings.