Developing a Club Drug

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Developing a Club Drug Alcohol Policy

Brendan Murphy ASAP National Coordinator
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Irish 16 Year olds - European Comparison

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A.S.A.P. Programme

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A.S.A.P. Programme

• Reduce the harm from alcohol other drugs
• National template
• 32 County Officers
• Officer in every club in the country
• DVD for clubs
• Education for parents/guardians
• Website video messages from players
• Helps resist negative peer pressure
• Linked in with existing drug/alcohol services

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Club Drug Alcohol policies should include.

• Prevention of drug and alcohol abuse
• Education about drugs and alcohol
• Planned responses to likely drug and
• alcohol incidents

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A.S.A.P. Programme

7 Steps to developing your Club Drug Alcohol
Policy
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Form a committee to develop the policy.

• The committee for developing the policy
• must involve of management, coaches,
• parents and players.
• Young people must be involved in a
• meaningful way.
• Keep the committee to a maximum of 8.

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2. Study relevant resources

• GAA Club Manual for Drugs Alcohol
• GAA Task Force Report on Alcohol
• www.gaa.ie/page/official_reports
• ASAP Programme Club Matters DVD
• Contact your local Health Promotion or
• Drug Alcohol service
• ASAP Website www.gaa.ie/asap

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3. Review the situation in your area
regarding drugs/alcohol.

• Every club has different needs.
• Spend some time discussing the types
• of problems that have happened before.
• Think about the type of difficulties that
• are likely to come up in the future in your
• area and your policy on these.

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4. Prepare a draft copy of the Club Drug
Alcohol Policy.

• Keep it to 2- 3 (max.) pages in length
• The least a policy should include is
• Reason for having a policy
• Definition of the word drug
• Rules on alcohol, drugs, tobacco, medicine
• Roles and responsibilities
• Education about alcohol and drug use
• Sanctions Confidentiality
• Procedures for monitoring and evaluation

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5. Circulate the draft policy

• SEND OUT COPIES TO EVERYONE
• Invite people to give feedback on the
• draft policy.
• Amend it to include relevant feedback.
• Get club management to ratify the policy
• and formally adopt its recommendations.

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6. Finalise, launch and start
implementing the policy.

• Officially launch of the policy to
• 1. signify its start date
• 2. get some positive media coverage
• 3. let everyone know of its existence
• Make sure EVERYONE in the club gets
• a copy.
• Display it in the club.
• Move quickly to arrange an education or
• training event to capitalise on momentum.

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7. Monitor, review and evaluate the policy.

• The types of drugs being used changes
• so get annual updates.
• The policy should be reviewed annually
• and always after an incident to see if it
• was effective or it needs to be amended.

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Club Drug Alcohol Policy

• Follow the steps in the
• manual and your club
• will be better able to
• 1. prevent alcohol and
• drug problems from
• happening,
• 2. know what to do
• when alcohol or drug
• problems do occur.

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A.S.A.P. Programme Resources
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Contact Details for the A.S.A.P.
Programme
Brendan Murphy National Coordinator A.S.A.P.
Programme GAA Connacht Council Clare Street,
Ballyhaunis Co. Mayo [phone] bmurphy_at_clg.g
aa.ie