All 80 post-primary schools and 10 Youthreach centres in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon participated in the fourth Planet Youth survey during November 2024 and a total of 6,500 pupils sat the survey at all ages. The purpose of each biennial survey is to gather the data that informs the regional primary prevention project, but it is possible to generate local area-based reports and also individual reports for each school that participates and has more than 20 pupils involved. These school reports are considered secondary to the overall project but hopefully they are a useful benefit to the schools for their participation in the surveys. The reports are comprehensive and provide data across many domains and topics. They can be used to support the delivery of the SPHE curricula in Junior and Senior Cycle. They provide additional useful information for other subject areas within the Wellbeing Framework for Practice. The reports can also be useful in other ways, such as school self-evaluation for wellbeing, school improvement plans, informing LAOS quality standards and statements of practice, provision mapping, and identifying DEIS action plans. There are additional applications for the reports specified in the recommendations section, these are suggested in three areas: School Leadership and Management, Learning and Teaching, and Collaboration with Stakeholders.

Planet Youth - Planet Youth is the local implementation, in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, of the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM). The IPM is an evidence based primary prevention model, developed by researchers, community workers and policy makers in Iceland. The model’s whole population approach offers an opportunity to improve health outcomes for young people in many areas of their lives It works by isolating and directly targeting the risk and protective factors that determine their substance use behaviours and enhancing the social environment they are growing up in. By developing targeted interventions that seek to alter identified risk factors the problems associated with adolescent substance use can be reduced or prevented before they arise. Other health and life outcomes can be improved using the same preventative approach and utilising the Planet Youth data.

Data - The model relies on the data derived from biennial cross-sectional surveys that are conducted using the Planet Youth questionnaire. This comprehensive lifestyle questionnaire is administered to the 15 and 16 year olds in the target community. There are questions on their substance use, physical health, mental health, physical activity, family and school experience, internet use, bullying and many other categories. There are 80 primary questions in the current Planet Youth survey instrument, involving a total of 388 sub-questions and 1,816 variables, all of which can be examined and cross tabulated. 

Regional summary - Substance use - Cannabis and cigarette use have been declining in recent years. However, vaping is a significant issue with 25% of pupils reporting use in the last month. Nicotine pouch use has become a concern, with 15% of pupils reporting lifetime use. Alcohol use, and in particular drunkenness, remains the most significant substance use issue. There has been a marginal but steady decline in lifetime alcohol use across the four Planet Youth surveys to date, from 77% to 72%, but the drunk in the last 30 days metric has not reduced. It stands at 31% at the time of the November 2024 survey.