The Department of Health and Children is to participate in a European Schools Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) in 2011.
On August 6, the Department began the process of seeking tenders to conduct research on Irish teenagers between 15 and 16 years old.
The purpose of the research is to gather Irish data on alcohol and drug use and to draw comparisons on this substance use with other European nations and with students of the same age.
The European survey is conducted every four years, with 35 countries participating in 2007. Each country must provide findings from a nationally representative sample consisting of a minimum of 2,800 children. A sample of secondary schools must be randomly selected geographically across Ireland. Students must be 16 years old during the research, i.e. born in 1995.
Once the Department has appointed a tender, it must contribute to the international development of the project and work with the organising institution, the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs. The deadline for tender applications is September 7, 2010.
Source: The Irish Medical Times, 10/08/10
Journalist: Aoife Connors
