Athboy No Name Club to host novel Junior Cert party

Athboy No Name Club is open from Monday to Friday this week as part of the national organisation"s 'Positive Alternatives" campaign. With the release of Junior Cert results this week and following latest HSE research which found that 30 per cent of Irish teens are regularly getting drunk, the No Name Club, Athboy, will have a drop-in centre with a games room for students which is open from 7pm-9pm, Monday through to Friday. The campaign aims to provide those who sat the Junior Cert this year in Meath with a place to chat to fellow students in a safe social setting. In recent years, Ireland"s Junior Cert results day has been marked by binge drinking and anti-social behaviour. Fronted by RTE presenter and No Name Club supporter Aidan Power, 'Positive Alternatives" will, the organisation hopes, encourage teens to celebrate their Junior Cert results at events free from the pressures of alcohol and drug use. No Name Club, a national voluntary organisation run by and for young people to provide a range of entertainment and developmental activities without drugs or alcohol, will host over 20 celebratory events throughout the country in addition to the Meath events as part of its campaign. In comparison to other European countries, Irish teens have a very high rate of alcohol consumption with 91 per cent of adults believing underage drinking is a problem in Ireland today. Offering young people real alternatives, the No Name Club provides a number of measures nationally to delay the age at which teens start drinking or taking drugs by organising leadership courses and events which aim to build the confidence and self-esteem of young people. Teens drink for many reasons such as acceptance, peer pressure, boredom and lack of self-esteem. The HSE"s Health Promotion Department has found that the heavy use of alcohol during teenage years can impair brain development and cause memory loss. If a teenager drinks before the age of 15, they are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependency than those who wait until they are 21, seven times more likely to be in a car crash because of drinking, and 11 times more likely to suffer unintentional injuries after drinking. 'No Name Club enables young people to organise and enjoy positive alternatives to alcohol and drug centered activities, building self-confidence and increasing awareness of the effects of alcohol and drugs to help young people make informed choices when they are older,' said Martin Ryan, CEO of No Name Club. 'Our national 'Positive Alternatives" campaign provides a number of activities for young people to celebrate their results free from alcohol or drug use.' At present, the organisation has almost 1,000 young people trained as youth leaders and over 10,000 young teens actively taking part in No Name Club activities and events each year. No Name Club is actively seeking volunteers to provide further clubs for young people across Ireland. For a full list of No Name Club"s Junior Cert results celebratory events or information on setting up a club, see www.nonameclub.ie or contact Aoife Murray, No Name Club Development Officer for Meath, on (087) 938 2413.