Abstract:
The focus of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of a preventative drugs awareness program that has been delivered to an all-girls secondary school in the south side of Cork city over the last six years. The programme has been delivered by ‘Togher Link-Up’, a local drugs awareness and outreach group based in the above-mentioned catchment area of Cork city. It was the group’s hope to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of the programme as this year’s sixth years (2016) are the first group to have completed a full-cycle of same. The programme was delivered to students throughout the six years of secondary school, this consistency over a substantial period of time being its unique feature. As such, research with this year’s sixth years presented an invaluable opportunity for evaluating the programme.