The following opinion article, written by Bishop Michael Router (pictured above), was published by The Irish Times on Sunday, 2 March, to coincide with Temperance Sunday 2025. Bishop Router is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh, chair of the Bishops’ Council for Healthcare, and liaison bishop to the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative.
Bishop Router stated, “Recently the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative received a letter from a heartbroken parent outlining the dangers of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a synthetic cannabinoid openly sold in vape shops across Ireland.
“The mother had written to public and media representatives urging an immediate ban of HHC, warning that HHC was highly addictive and unregulated and saying it posed severe mental and physical health risks to young people including psychosis, addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts.
“HHC has been regulated or banned in several other European countries including France, Austria and Denmark. However, Ireland has failed to act, leaving many vulnerable to its effects.
“The parent was reaching out following the experience of her teenager with HHC. Her seventeen-year-old daughter had become addicted to the drug, purchasing it legally with ease. Now struggling with severe mental health issues, she has been forced to leave school and is under psychiatric care. This parent claimed that the family sought help from authorities, only to be dismissed due to the legal status of HHCs in Ireland.
“This story is just one of thousands replicated across the island, affecting all age and socio-economic groups.
“We have always had a difficult relationship with alcohol in this country. Excessive drinking is tolerated and accepted, regardless of its damaging and often-catastrophic effects. Back in 2002, I undertook a survey of drinking habits among the senior students at a school where I was teaching at the time. Of the 84 students who took part, 77 said that they drank alcohol and, 33 of that cohort, said that they began to drink at the age of 13 or 14. So, even 23 years ago no one was shocked or surprised at that level of alcohol use among young people.
“Alcohol abuse is still a big problem, but added to that is the widespread and relatively cheap availability of drugs such as cannabis and cocaine. Attempts to deal with the problem have focused on the prosecution of the user, while the gangs who import and sell drugs have often escaped effective punishment.”
To read the full text of Bishop Router’s article click HERE
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