The number of teenage drug abusers tripled between 1990 and 1996 and approximately 60 per cent of the people seeking help for drug addiction are under 24. Information for young people, their families and others will be offered in a free public seminar, Young People and Addiction, on Thursday, 7 p.m., at Milltown Park, the Jesuit Institute on Sandford Road, Ranelagh. The Rutland Centre, the residential centre which treats all addictions, is presenting two lectures, How to Identify, Cope and Intervene, for family members, and Use, Abuse and the Dangers of Addiction.
A new treatment for osteoporosis will soon be available in Ireland. Raloxifene greatly reduces women's chances of developing osteoporosis and in trials reduced osteoporotic spinal fractures by half. It provides the protective benefits of oestrogen (including lowering cholesterol) without the negative effects on breast and uterus. It will be available later this year from Eli Lilly, under the brand name Evista.
Every year, 15,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Ireland. In February 1999, a sponsored cycle to help those with cancer will be taking place. Join cyclists as they pedal 250 miles around Cuba to raise money for ARC House, the Dublin centre for people with cancer, their family and friends. For further details, contact Grainne Barnett, tel: 01 8307333. More cancer news: the Irish Lymphoedema Support Network gives a lecture entitled Living with Altered Body Image on Saturday at noon in the Irish Cancer Society, 5 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4.
Do you know whether it's safe to re-freeze a casserole? Or how long you can safely leave a chicken in the freezer? Or if your fridge is cold enough? Apparently many of us have no idea - and in response to a large number of inquiries to its food safety helpline, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has produced a leaflet How to Use Your Fridge and Freezer. This leaflet, and others on food safety, are available from the Food Safety Authority's Information Centre, Abbey Court, Lr Abbey Street, Dublin 1 or by phoning the helpline: 1800 336677.
Interested in finding health information on the Internet but not sure where to look? Check-out "Dr Net's surgery is always open" on the Computimes page in this newspaper for a prescription on health Websites. Bear in mind that although the Internet is a rich resource of information on health and medical issues, it is no substitute for consulting a real-life doctor or other healthcare professionals.
Meniere's disease is a debilitating condition which causes sufferers to lose their balance and which may result in tinnitus and loss of hearing (caused by an increase in the pressure of fluids in the inner ear). In Britain, there are an estimated 25,000 sufferers - Irish figures are not available. To bring together people with Meniere's disease, who would like to form a self-help group and raise awareness of the condition, the National Association of Deaf People is setting up a database. Contact NAD, 35 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1.