LIMERICK City Adult Education Service (LCAES) launched its report ‘Evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of the Community Addiction Studies Course’ (CASC©) on Thursday 8.  This study of CASC© in Limerick is only the third evaluation to be conducted on accredited drugs education in Ireland and is a first ever for Limerick.  The report highlights the critical role that local communities and local people have to play in tackling problems of drugs misuse. Through its Drug Education and Prevention programme, LCAES organises and supports the delivery of the Community Addiction Studies Course.  Run for the past decade, the course is delivered for three hours per week over 20 weeks and the award is a FETAC Level 5 Component Certificate in Community Addiction Studies.
People who have attended include community groups, parents, Gardaí, Health Service personnel, activists, volunteers and people in recovery.
The course was designed by URRUS at Ballymun Youth Action Project in the mid ‘90’s as a response to the growing drugs crisis in Dublin.  It was established to fulfil the following five aims:
* To enable people to learn about drugs and their effects
* To develop an understanding of addiction
* To examine their own attitudes
* To become more effective in their personal response
* To develop the skills and knowledge to become more effective in responding to problem drug use in their own communities.