This research aimed to provide a qualitative perception of Irish youth substance use according to youth and drugs service providers in Waterford, Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a self-selecting sample of community, law enforcement, and drug services (N = 42). The research provided detailed knowledge about levels of youth substance use involvement and gaps in regional service provision.

The results suggest that adolescents' attitudes and substance using practices have become more liberal and indeed more "normalized," and that drug services may be aiming at a "transient target" of drug and alcohol taking patterns within the rural context. Successful and proactive programs of service delivery must therefore incorporate the complexity of adolescent regional culture, perceptions of risk and maturational processes.