Karl OBrien Community Addiction Counsellor Ballymun Youth Action

Karl O’Brien Community Addiction Counsellor, Ballymun Youth Action Project, Dublin

Source: Paddy Power/Red C

� Multiple forms of policy, practice and civil society attention – medicalisation, legalisation and evidence of harms – occurring concurrently. � Steady increase of cannabis use within Ireland – 2014/15 NACDA data most commonly used illegal drug in Ireland. � General prevalence data does not indicate level for which cannabis is problematic. � Daily use indicated as a threshold of concern, particularly for young people – Dirisu et al. , (2015) call for policy based on robust evidence rather than political motivation.

� Increased focus on the harms of cannabis, particularly for young people (Henquet et al. , 2004; Resnick et al. , 2007). � Hench et al. , (2016) looked at longer term impacts of use relative to age of use onset – the earlier the onset of use, the higher the level of ongoing use for young men. Early onset of use also positively associated with ongoing use of other illicit substances, alcohol and nicotine dependence. Evidence mounting re adverse affects of cannabis use on the developing brains of young people (Smith & Hellig, 2016). � � Houck et al. , (2013) found that ongoing use by young people negatively affected brain function, particularly those linked to working memory and attention. � Negative effect on Qo. L, despite fact young people reported use was to improve Qo. L (Fischer et al. , 2015).

Frontline services indicated that young people are experiencing a wide range of mental health problems linked to their consumption of street cannabis ‘. . use of high-potency cannabis (Skunk) confers an increased risk of psychosis compared with traditional low -potency cannabis (Hash)’ – Murray et al. Research exploring the effect of CBD in cannabis has shown that, when it is administered alongside THC, it can significantly reduce problematic effects both cognitively and psychologically. CBD appears, both from academic research and consumer anecdotes, to reduce the problematic side effects of THC and create a more balanced experience.

The Equal Youth project is operating in urban (Ballymun) and rural (Mayo) sites and aims to focus on three distinct clusters � Young Early School Leavers who are unattached to any services � Young Early School Leavers who are attached to an agency providing education or training � Young Early School Leavers who are job ready or are already in low pay/skill employment

� The Equal Youth Development Partnership � Impact regular cannabis use was having on progression and engagement with EY process � Concerns towards workers apathy towards cannabis use � Development of cannabis sub group connected to EY Meetings

� Ballark Training Centre � Ballymun Adult Read & Write Scheme � Ballymun Anseo (School Completion Programme) � Ballymun Job Centre � Ballymun Regional Youth Resource � Ballymun Youth Action Project � Ballymun Youthreach � Department of Social Protection Intreo Service � Le Chéile Mentoring � PACE � Probation Service � Trinity Comprehensive, second level school � Ballymun Youth Block (Garda Youth Diversion Project)

� Formation � of the cannabis sub group (2011) Cannabis workshops to training centres(2011) � BYAP Training workshop (2011) � Development of the Cannabis Programme (2011) � Worked with young people to design (2011) cannabis poster � Cannabis Awareness Week (2013) � 2 Conferences focusing on Cannabis (2014) � Cannabis & Me (2015)

� To provide a rapid assessment of cannabis use prevalence across three sites in Ballymun. � To get a accurate picture of the current patterns of cannabis use. � To explore the relationship that young people in these sites have with weed.

� Designed a rapid assessment tool. � 3 Byap workers – 2 students focused on training centres � 2 outreach teams from BRYR & Contact Service � Data gathered over a period of 14 weeks. � 96 participants took part in the rapid assessment � Researchers focused on two training centres & one group in no formal education setting. � Questionnaire further developed after first data collection cycle. � Data from completed questionnaires was then collated based on research sites and as a complete data set.

� Street group are using the highest amounts daily � 53 participants have potential to be spending € 327, 820 a year � 19% reported drug debt ranging from € 50 -€ 1000 � 8% of street group reported drug debt € 50 -€ 250 � Top 3 reported reasons to change included, financial, employment, and physical health

Ever used Cannabis? n=96 22% Never 78% Yes

Emcdda report on drug markets in the EU

Spend on Cannabis Participants Weekly Monthly Annually Totals 53 € 5, 705 € 22, 820 € 327, 820

Income, Average Spend & Average Debt € 160 € 83 TC A € 332 € 64 € 160 € 60 TC B € 240 € 100 € 153 Street € 610 € 13 € 0 € 100 € 200 Income € 300 Average Weekly Spend € 400 Average Monthly Spend € 500 Average Debt € 600 € 700

1. Current knowledge base 2. Prevention & early intervention 3. Targeted responses to daily users 4. Maintaining the focus of cannabis on community conversations and responses

Dissemination � Launch of report and discussion with service providers, community agencies & relevant stakeholders. � Presentation of findings at Lisbon Addictions 2017. � Presenting local and regional fora and conferences. Action Updated section within QQI level 5 Community Addictions Studies Course delivered by Urrus, BYAP. � Trained Reduce The Use keyworkers in each participating community training centres. � Started the process of collaboratively designing a intervention programme inclusive of responses to daily users. � Scoping of existing prevention and early intervention responses within existing community infrastructure. �

� http: //www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S 0028390817302915 � http: //www. drugsandalcohol. ie/25201/ � http: //www. drugsandalcohol. ie/27246/ � http: //volteface. me/publications/street-lottery/ � http: //www. emcdda. europa. eu/best-practice/briefings/responding-to-problemsassociated-with-cannabis-use_en � Cannabis-associated psychosis: Neural substrate and clinical impact; R. M. Murray et al. (2017)

Karl O’Brien Horizons Centre Balcurris Ballymun Youth Action Project Dublin 11 Karlob@byap. ie 01 -8428071