Alcohol & Drugs

• It is against the law to take drugs and it is against the law to purchase alcohol under 18 years of age.
• Some teenagers, boys and girls, say that they use alcohol or drugs as an excuse for behaviour they regret.
• Drinking alcohol can make someone feel more confident BUT it does not change them into a different person. Unless you drink to the point of losing consciousness, you still have control over what you are doing.
• Drinking or taking drugs to the extent that you don’t have control over what you are doing is very dangerous. If you get into the habit of it, you are likely to say and do things that you deeply regret later.
• The only person that can make you drunk is yourself. You are the one that is putting the alcohol into your body. Mature people do not drink to the point that they lose control and behave badly.
• Don’t leave drinks unattended.  If you do, don’t come back and drink them.
• If you are out with a group of friends and someone is not let into the disco, make sure they are not left outside on their own. Consider designating a sober person, who keeps an eye on everyone else.
• Someone really drunk or high – boys as well as girls – can easily be attacked, robbed or sexually assaulted.

For more information on alcohol and its effects visit www.yourdrinking.ie

For more information on drugs and their effects visit www.talktofrank.com