A new anti-drugs initiative is being launched in Waterford this evening - aimed specifically towards those involved in GAA clubs.
Waterford will become the third county, after Carlow and Kilkenny, to pilot the HEED programme.
Offering advice and support to young people who are dealing with issues around drugs is the main aim of the project.
Sergeant Deirdre O'Neill is Waterford's Crime Prevention Officer.
"We're launching this HEED initiative - it stands for Health, Education, Enforcement and Drug Driving. This is an initiative that was piloted by An Garda Siochana and Carlow GAA in Carlow. It's designed to offer advice and support to club members if they're dealing with issues surrounding illegal drug use and the possession of illegal drugs in our communities in general."
Sergeant O'Neill says they'll be talking about the consequences of drug use as well as how to get help.
"Importantly, we want to get across that there are supports there for people who find themselves in a position where a family member or someone that they know is abusing drugs. There's loads of supports out there. There's the Family Support Centre here in Waterford, the HSE, Spunout.ie - which is a good place to start. The point of this is that we are going to reach out to all GAA, Camogie and Ladies Football Clubs."
