'Network café' on substance misuse to be held in Kilkenny this evening

A 'network café' public consultation event on substance misuse is taking place in Kilkenny this evening in the Ormonde Hotel.

The aim of the evening is to gather information towards identifying priorities for a Drug and Alcohol Implementation Strategy for the South East. Regional and local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces play a major role in assessing the extent and nature of the drug and alcohol problems in the areas they serve.

The event, which gets under way at 6.30pm, is a collaboration between researchers at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and the South East’s Regional Drug and Alcohol Task Force, with the support of HSE/South East Community Healthcare.

A principal goal of the National Drugs Strategy is to minimise the harms caused by the use and misuse of substances and promote better health and social outcomes through the provision of a range of treatment, rehabilitation and recovery services.

Dr Michelle Foley, a researcher at WIT with extensive experience in the research field of drug addiction, is the Principal Investigator of the Drug and Alcohol Implementation Strategy for the South East (DAISSE).

“Developing a strategy is a pledge to our communities in the South East that drug and alcohol misuse and its effects will be robustly tackled through a number of approaches, including prevention activities, education, community empowerment and treatment provision," said Dr Foley.

"The strategy will complement the vision of the 'Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery Strategy' aimed at reducing the damage caused by substance misuse to individuals, communities and Irish society as a whole by 2025."