STEPS is an initiative providing counselling for young people. This study assessed the need for a STEPS centre in Kilkenny and the surrounding area. A total of 569 young people in the area responded to questionnaires which queried attitudes on parents, schools, smoking, alcohol and drug use. The respondents aged from 8 to 18, with 47.8% male and 52.2% female. 63% of respondents said they consumed alcohol, with 38.2% of those drinking every week. In terms of drug use, 22% said they had used drugs, with 43.2% responding that they had never used drugs, with the remainder not answering the question. Of those who had taken drugs the majority (58.5%) had taken cannabis. Of those who did take drugs, 26% said they took them weekly and the majority of those who had tried drugs (68.3%) said they had taken substances as they 'wanted to experiment'. 58.2% of those interviewed said they had smoked cigarettes. Substance use was listed as a major problem for all respondents, as were bullying, family problems and peer pressure.