A 13-year-old Sligo student fended off strong competition from older teenagers and young adults to be crowned overall winner of the National Drugs Media Awards.
Robert Gaynor, from Strandhill, scooped €1,000 in prize money after he took the top award at the “Let’s Talk About Drugs” competition, co-sponsored by the Irish Examiner.
Now in its seventh year, the drugs education competition attracted a record number of entries from schools, colleges and youth clubs from across the country.
More than 270 submissions were entered, double that of last year. They came from 20 counties and, with many group entries, involved around 1,000 people.
The awards are the brainchild of the Greater Blanchardstown Response to Drugs. They were supported this year by Drugs.ie, the HSE, the Department of Health, and Crimestoppers as well as the Irish Examiner.
The group’s chairman Eddie Matthews said the aim of the awards was to raise awareness about drugs and alcohol and to promote a healthier, alternative lifestyle.
He praised the involvement of state bodies like the HSE and the Department of Health, represented by Alex White, the primary care minister, but called on the Department of Education to get involved.
This year’s awards covered the two themes: “Alcohol and sport — who is the real winner?” and “Weed and health — are we making a hash of it?” There were four age groups (12 to 14; 15 to 17; 18 to 20 and 21-plus) across five media formats: newspapers; film or animation; audio; cartoon; and poster.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 26/09/13
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