Being a child or adult child of parents with problems alcohol or drug use can be an isolating and lonely experience. Children grow up in a strained and emotionally charged environment which can hugely affect their sense of self.

By speaking out about this issue Alcohol Action Ireland’s Silent Voices campaign aims to lessen the shame these children and adults may feel, and to help them find support so that they feel less alone in their experience.

Today we hear a story of incredible resilience from a woman who grew up with immense trauma arising from her mother’s serious alcohol and mental health difficulties. Her father also had alcohol problems and died when Aisling was just 10 years old.

Interviewed by psychotherapist Marion Rackard, a co founder of Silent Voices, our guest is Aisling Creegan, an artist and herself a psychotherapist who is committed to helping others with similar life experiences to be open to the possibility of change.

This podcast discusses many sensitive themes, please pace yourself when listening. You can find links to support and helplines below.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

● Aisling's motivation to write the book "I Am Someone"

● Challenges of addressing the stigma and shame

● Developing coping mechanisms to cope with abuse at home

● The journey of seeking help and understanding through therapy

● Advocacy efforts and recommendations for improving support and awareness around alcohol-impacted families.

GUEST DETAILS

Aisling Creegan is an artist and a facilitator of activities in care settings. She has degrees in Fine Art and Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is the author of ‘I Am Someone’.

Aisling Creegan’s childhood was dominated by an abusive, alcoholic mother, who tortured her at every turn. From insults through beatings and being threatened with a butcher’s knife, Aisling endured unthinkable suffering at the hands of the woman who should have loved her unconditionally. Yet in the midst of this trauma, Aisling was able to rely on the one person she knew she could trust – herself.

But the scars of the past take time to heal, and when Aisling suffered a breakdown it took her on a surprising path to freedom – and forgiveness. I Am Someone is an extraordinary memoir about female cruelty, and ultimately female strength and endurance.

https://aislingcreegan.ie/

MORE INFORMATION

If you are looking for support visit the link below or call HSE Drug and Alcohol Helpline 1800459459

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/

Counselling phone line: https://connectcounselling.ie/

Alcohol Action Ireland Toolkit: https://alcoholireland.ie/our-work/campaigns/silent-voices/toolkit/

To find out more about Alcohol Action Ireland visit alcoholireland.ie

KEYWORDS

#alcohol #sports #drinking #marketing #health #advertising

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One of the most prominent areas of alcohol advertising is in the sports sector, which seems contradictory to the health and fitness associated with sport.

Tobacco has been distanced from sport for a very long time but today we hear why alcohol isn’t given the same treatment, despite being a harmful substance. We hear from a sports star who believes alcohol has no relation to the work he and his team do as athletes, and about the vested interests that makes legislation and monitoring of alcohol advertising so tricky.

Our expert guests are Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, Dr. Robin Ireland, and Mayo footballer Pádraig O'Hora who also works with young people in the community.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

● How watching sport exposes young people to alcohol

● Alcohol sponsorships and advertising with prolific sports people

● The contradictory message between alcohol and health and fitness

● Why marketing 0.0 products is still as harmful

● Problematic symptoms of alcohol even aside from addiction

GUEST DETAILS

Padraig O’Hora is a Mayo Footballer & Mental Health & Neurodivergent Advocate well known for his advocacy in the mental health arena. Padraig regularly delivers talks that delve into the areas of mental health, in particular resilience.

https://www.instagram.com/padraigohora_1993/

Dr. Robin Ireland has worked in public health since 1984, including being employed by Princes Park Health Centre in Liverpool 8 and Mersey Regional Health Authority amongst others. He is the former Chief Executive of the Health Equalities Group (HEG) charity based in Liverpool. Ireland established the organisation in 2002, followed by Healthy Stadia in 2004 and Food Active in 2013, both part of HEG, and is now an Honorary Director of Research with the charity. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Glasgow in 2021. His thesis was on the Commercial Determinants of Health in Sport.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/healthwellbeing/staff/robinireland/#biography

MORE INFORMATION

Read our submission regarding Ireland’s online safety code.

https://alcoholireland.ie/our-work/policy/alcohol-marketing-protecting-children/

If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/

To find out more about Alcohol Action Ireland visit alcoholireland.ie

KEYWORDS

#alcohol #sports #drinking #marketing #health #advertising

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Online safety for children is a huge issue in our digital society and here at Alcohol Action Ireland we want to shine a light on how damaging digital advertising of harmful commodities, such as alcohol, can be.

Currently in Ireland, through a new body called Coimisiún na Meán, we are developing new online safety rules for video sharing platform services, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok and others. Today, we hear how we should protect children and their rights in this digital era.

Our expert guests are human rights lawyer and Online Safety Coordinator for the Children's Rights Alliance, Noeline Blackwell, and director of the Center for Digital cultures and Societies at the University of Queensland, Associate Professor in the School of Communication and arts, Nicholas Carah.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

●How we can protect children from harmful advertising

●Dark advertising of alcohol that targets children

●The most important things for regulators to consider

●Why we need to listen to the voices of young people

●Taking pressure from parents and placing it on politcians

GUEST DETAILS

Noeline Blackwell is a human rights lawyer who joined the Children’s Rights Alliance in November 2023 as Online Safety Co-ordinator. Prior to that, Noeline was CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for almost 8 years and was previously Director of FLAC, the Free Legal Advice Centres. Noeline also spent a number of years in general practice, with a particular focus in immigration, refugee and family law. She has been a member of a number of statutory and NGO boards. She currently chairs the Independent Patient Safety Council and the Child Law Project. She was appointed as a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in 2023.

https://ie.linkedin.com/in/noelineblackwell

Nicholas Carah is Director of Digital Cultures & Societies in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Arts. He is an Associate Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, and a Chief Investigator on ARC Discovery and Linkage projects. In 2023 they are Deputy Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Nicholas' research examines the algorithmic and participatory advertising model of digital media platforms, with a sustained focus on digital alcohol marketing. He is the author of Media and Society: Power, Platforms & Participation (2021), Brand Machines, Sensory Media and Calculative Culture (2016), Media and Society: production, content and participation (2015), Pop Brands: branding, popular music and young people (2010). And, co-editor of Digital Intimate Publics and Social Media (2018) and Conflict in My Outlook (2022). Nicholas has also been involved in research projects on alcohol-related harms and nightlife culture and the use of digital media in fostering cultural change in drinking culture. Nicholas is a Director and Deputy Chair of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.

https://nicholascarah.com/nicholascarah

MORE INFORMATION

Read our submission regarding Ireland’s online safety code.

https://alcoholireland.ie/our-work/policy/alcohol-marketing-protecting-children/

If you are looking for support visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/addiction/drugshivhelpline/

To find out more about Alcohol Action Ireland visit alcoholireland.ie

KEYWORDS

#children #regulation #advertising #alcohol #online

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