Home > GAA initiative on alcohol and substance abuse.

Galvin, Brian (2006) GAA initiative on alcohol and substance abuse. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 18, Summer 2006, p. 5.

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As part of its strategy on drugs and alcohol, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) recently appointed a national co-ordinator for its Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) programme.  Brendan Murphy, formerly Regional Drugs Training Officer with the HSE Western Area, took up his new position in November 2005.  He spoke recently to Drugnet Ireland about his work in implementing the GAA’s strategy and the development of the organisation’s policy in this area.

In June 2004 the GAA Task Force into Alcohol and Substance Abuse, following consultation with members of the association, health professionals and others, published a report1 of its findings and recommended that the GAA should actively work towards reducing the level of drug and problem alcohol use in Irish society.  The report recommended a comprehensive education programme on drugs and alcohol with an emphasis on young members.  It also recommended the creation of a code of conduct for the serving of alcohol in clubs and at GAA functions and the development of guidelines in relation to advertising or sponsorship involving the drinks industry. 

The Task Force, chaired by Galway All-Ireland-winning captain Joe Connolly, recognised the shortcomings in existing prevention programmes and its deliberations were informed by a health promotion approach to problem drug and alcohol use.  It saw clearly the need to develop a broad programme which all members could contribute to and have a role in shaping.  A major task facing the new co-ordinator of the ASAP programme is to set up the structure through which the GAA’s policy will be implemented.  This structure will comprise 32 county officers, each of whom will work with, but will not be part of, the association’s county boards.  All county officers will receive training in facilitating meetings and other skills. So far, six county officers have been appointed.

The county officers will assist Mr Murphy in selecting club officers and eventually there will be an officer attached to each of the country’s 2,500 GAA clubs.  Each officer will co-ordinate the development of the club’s own drug and alcohol policy.  The policy will be based on a common template but each club will have considerable autonomy in deciding what policies are appropriate to its particular circumstances and local conditions.  An important element of club policy on alcohol and drugs will be an outline of how the club communicates on this issue with the Garda and with local HSE health promotion and drug and alcohol units.  Each individual club policy must also outline appropriate actions in the areas of prevention, education (for both adults and juveniles) and responses to incidents.

While these structures are being put in place the GAA will be working on practical prevention and education initiatives.  These will include delivering video segments to the mobile phones of young members carrying a series of messages from well-know players from the members’ own county team.  This initiative anticipates more extensive use of 3G mobile phone technology.

The administrative structure of the GAA has served it well throughout its 120-year history.  It has a presence in every parish in the country.  Its development and administration and the promotion of its values depend on committed and energetic voluntary effort in all its 2,500 clubs throughout the country.  This structure and outlook allows it to take on a very ambitious programme of prevention and education. The ASAP programme plans to establish a network to collect baseline data, using existing models such as the ESPAD or HBSC surveys, and monitor trends over the course of the programme.  This could provide a very valuable, and possible unique, insight into the effectiveness of this type of prevention and education programme.

1. GAA Task Force into Alcohol and Substance Use (2004) A report by the GAA Task Force into Alcohol and Substance Use.  Dublin: Gaelic Athletic Association.

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