Substance Use Policy

Scope of Policy

This policy applies to students, teachers, ancillary staff members, users of the school premises, visitors, i.e. every person who enters the building. It is applicable during school-time, including breaks, and to ALL school related activities. It applies to the school building and grounds and also to any area where a school related activity takes place, e.g. school tour destination.

Aims of Policy

The aim of the substance use policy of Scoil Naomh Buithe is primary prevention. We aim to protect our pupils from the harmful effects of substance misuse and try to prevent them from using tobacco, alcohol, solvents and illegal drugs. We aim to develop in our pupils’ better self-esteem, through providing a positive school climate and atmosphere and through giving our pupils age appropriate information from educational programmes.

Relationship to the School’s Mission, Vision And Aims

The characteristic spirit of this school has been developed and agreed with our partners in education. This substance use policy reflects the school ethos by:

Drawing together staff, parents and Board of Management members, and
Including reference to substance use in our Code of Behaviour and School Rules

Rationale

Why is this policy necessary?

The school authority in Scoil Naomh Buithe has a moral and legal obligation to ensure compliance with the criminal law.
The world in which we live presents young people with many challenges, which affect their health and well-being. Exposure to alcohol, tobacco and drugs is part of this reality. Schools need to reflect upon how they might provide for the needs of their student cohort and respond appropriately to what are sometimes sensitive and emotive issues.
The Education Act 1998 provides that schools should promote the social and personal development of students and provide health education for them. The National Drugs Strategy ‘Building on Experience’ is now government policy and it requires schools to have a substance use policy in place. The report from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs entitled ‘Drug Use Prevention’ (November 2001) underlines the importance of schools developing substance use policies.
The second wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), conducted between 2013 and 2015 and covering persons aged 15 and over, reported that among the EU population one in five of those who drink alcohol had an episode of heavy drinking at least once a month. More than 30% of Irish people drinking alcohol ingested more than 60g of pure ethanol on a single occasion at least once a month in 2014.

Policy Content

Young people are most at risk in relation to substance use in Scoil Naomh Buithe in recreational areas, on the way to and from school and at out of school related activities supervised by staff members of Scoil Naomh Buithe.

Incidents relating to alcohol, tobacco and drug use are addressed in the school’s Code of Behaviour and pupils may be suspended or expelled if involved in any drug related incident.

The school’s shared understanding of a ‘substance use incident’ is:

Any unusual or unbecoming behaviour resulting from intake or use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs
The sale or passing on of any illegal substance
The possession of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs on school grounds or at school related activities
Disposal of drugs or related items (e.g. syringes) on school property.

The reporting procedure for such incidents is:

Step 1: Witness to drug related incident informs a staff member, who in turn informs the Principal
Step 2: Principal inform parents/guardians
Step 3: Principal informs Chairperson of Board of Management
Step 4: Gardai informed depending on the legality of the incident
Step 5: Tusla consulted

Parents will be involved by accepting the school’s Code of Behaviour. They will be informed of an incident involving their own child and will expected to accept responsibility, co-operate with the school authorities, and with the Gardaí if necessary.

Parents will be involved in incidents involving another child only if deemed necessary by the school authorities; if parents are aware that another child is involved in drug-related incidents under the scope of this policy they should inform the teacher, the principal or a Board member.

The role of the Board of Management is to:

Ratify this policy
Implement this policy
Monitor and evaluate it
Sponsor/provide training for staff members
Make decisions involving critical incidents
Deal with the media in the event of a critical incident.

This policy puts the following procedures in place to deal with an incident requiring medical intervention:

‘Universal Precautions’ will be applied; e.g. wearing of proper protective gloves etc., washing and making safe an area after an incident; provision of a bin to dispose of needles or other unsuitable appliances
Most staff have up-to-date First Aid training, and a record is kept in the main office. Some staff have attended Fetac approved occupational First Aid training. Many staff members have also attended defibrillator training.
Relevant phone numbers are listed.
A doctor from a local practice has agreed to respond to a medical emergency in the school.
The Board of Management has a Critical Incident Policy.

The school will invite representatives from the local Garda station to speak with senior pupils. Whether or not to inform the Gardai of minor incidents will be at the discretion of the principal and the chairperson of the Board of Management, but the Gardaí will be involved in any serious substance use incident.

At local level the following support agencies are available to which students involved in substance misuse might be referred:

HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline
- freephone (1800) 459 459
- email support service ().
HSE Addiction Services
- Market St Health Centre, Market Street, Dundalk - (042) 9394000
HSE Drug Addiction Services
- North Louth: Market St Health Centre, Dundalk - (042) 9394000
- South Louth: 11 Chord Road, Drogheda - (041) 984 3531
Narcotics Anonymous - Louth
Juvenile Liaison Officers
- Mid-Louth - Garda Noel Loughran (041) 9838777
- Drogheda - Garda O’Shea Anita (041) 9838777
Community Policing Unit – Drogheda Garda Station (041) 9874200
The HSE National Drug Treatment Centre,
- 30-31 Pearse Street, Dublin 2 – (01) 6488600
- Email:

In the event of media interest in relation to a ‘substance use incident’, the matter will be referred to the Board of Management and the chairperson may issue a prepared statement to the media.

A record will be kept in school of all substance use incidents.

Management of Persons in the Workplace Under The Influence of Drugs and/or Alcohol

The Board of Management shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that pupils and other persons in the workplace are not exposed to risks to their safety, health or welfare from persons under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. The term “in the workplace”, in the preceding sentence includes all school related activities taking place under the supervision of a teacher, with the Board’s approval, and both within and away from the school premises. Every school employee shall, while at work, ensure that he or she is not under the influence of an intoxicant as required by Section 13 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

Should the principal and/or deputy principal have reasonable grounds to believe that a staff member is unfit for work, due to being under the influence of an intoxicant, the principal and/or deputy principal shall ask that person to remove him/herself from the workplace, in the interests of the safety, health and welfare of the employee and others. In the case of employees who are at work under the influence of an intoxicant, disciplinary procedures may be implemented.

Should the principal and/or deputy principal have reasonable grounds to believe that an employee of any contractor is unfit for work, due to being under the influence of an intoxicant, the principal and/or deputy principal shall ask the contractor to remove his/her employee from the workplace.

If a member of staff has reasonable grounds to believe that any person, other than a staff member or employee of a contractor, is unfit to be on the premises due to being under the influence of an intoxicant, the staff member shall report his/her belief promptly to the principal and/or deputy principal who shall ask that person to remove him/herself from the workplace.

If a member of staff has reasonable grounds to believe that a parent or adult collecting a pupil from school, or presenting themselves on the premises for another reason, is unfit to be on the premises or to take care of the said pupil, the principal and/or deputy principal will be informed and the duty of care will apply to the pupil. All necessary steps will be taken to protect the pupil and safeguard their best interests.

In the event that a staff member or any other person, referred to above, refuses a reasonable request to remove him/herself from the premises, the principal and/or deputy principal may call the Gardaí to forcibly remove the person in question.

The Board of Management acknowledges its responsibility in promoting the welfare at work of staff. In the event that substance abuse appears to be adversely affecting the performance and/or attendance pattern of any member of the teaching or SNA staff, the Board of Management may request such a staff member to contact:

The Employee Assistance Service
- Freephone helpline 1800 411 057
- Email:

EAP Consultants (branded as Inspire Wellbeing) are the current providers of the Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Services which includes a free confidential service accessible by means of a free phone telephone helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing counselling on a range of personal health and wellbeing issues given by qualified clinicians. Up to six face-to-face counselling sessions are available to provide supportive and solution-focused care based on an individual’s clinical needs. The telephone service also provides specialist information, support and advice in relation to family, financial, legal, work-related and consumer information services as well as providing management support.

The Board of Management also acknowledges its responsibility in promoting the welfare at work of all other staff members. In the event that substance abuse appears to be adversely affecting the performance and/or attendance pattern of the secretary or caretaker, the Board of Management may request such a staff member to seek counseling or other professional intervention.

All incidents relating to the presence of persons at school under the influence of an intoxicant shall be recorded and reported, as soon as possible, to the Board of Management.

The Board of Management shall consider all such reports and decide on the appropriate action to be taken in the circumstances of each particular case.

Ratification, communication and review

This policy was ratified at a Board of Management meeting on 27^th May 2019. It will be communicated to staff by email, and also saved on the staff server, and it will be available to parents and the school community in the school. It will be reviewed every two years, or sooner if requested by any member of the school community.

Signed by Patrick Logue (Chairperson BOM)