The Catholic Church is taking the battle against drink and drugs to every parish in the country. The bishops plan to establish drug and alcohol prevention groups for young people.
This follows the first national conference organised by the bishops on drugs and alcohol abuse.
The weekend gathering in Maynooth drew 160 delegates who welcomed progress reports on 10 pilot projects supported financially by the Government's national drugs strategy.
Bishop Eamon Walsh, the vice-chairman of the Irish Bishops' Drugs Initiative (IBDI), told the conference that the 10 parishes had responded enthusiastically to the pioneering project which began two years ago.
"The target audience for the initiative is local communities that want their children to be drug free and educated in a way that they become aware, from an early age, that alcohol is a drug and can damage the brain and vital organs of the body as well as impair judgment and the executive functions of the brain," said Bishop Walsh.
Dr Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor, officially launched the report, 'Alcohol, Drugs -- Parishes Respond'
The report recommends that all parishes should set up a small core group which would work in partnership with state and voluntary agencies.
The case studies were compiled by the Mooncoin and Templeorum Parish Drugs Initiative, Co Kilkenny, Community Links in Castlebellingham, Co Louth, Kilsaran and Stabannon Drugs Initiative Blackrock, Co Louth, Haggardstown Parish Drugs Initiative, Co Louth, Cavan Drugs Initiative (Urney Parish) and Carrick-on-Shannon Parish, Co Leitrim.
Empower
Commenting on the report, Bishop Treanor said: "The raw reality of alcohol and substance abuse is that it exists across all age brackets and socio-economic strata."
But he was heartened to note that "Christian faith had inspired women and men to care for, heal and empower the addict."
Bishop Walsh said there were many ways in which parishes could contribute to the prevention of drug and alcohol problems.
"If parish schools are already teaching the Social Personal and Health Education Programme, then they are already strengthening young people in their response to drugs," said Bishop Walsh.
"Similarly, if a parish centre makes a room available to a self-help group, then it is already making a pastoral response to those who need and deserve support."
Pointing out that the bishops' initiative combined the spiritual with the practical, Bishop Walsh said that the parish held a special relationship with families because it was the spiritual heart of each community."
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