The Welfare Week organised by UL students' union continues until this Thursday, following the success of last year's Alcohol Awareness Week. According to UL students' union welfare officer Elaine Kiely, the aim of the week is to achieve a "culture change" where required - to stress the importance, for example, of moderate drinking and the use of contraception. As well as the welfare office's stand, expert groups and the college's own counselling and medical services will be on hand to offer general advice and assistance to students.

"We hope that students will be able to access people, but there's also a welfare office in the students' union that they can come into if they need information," says Kiely.

Unfortunately for those of you who get a frisson of excitement from talking about matters sexual, the sexual health day was yesterday. Today is drug awareness day and tomorrow is alcohol awareness day, which will include a racing car video game to show the effects of drink driving and - they're a cultured lot in UL - a wine tasting.

"Our policy is moderate drinking, not that people shouldn't drink," explains Kiely. Students will also get the chance to taste-test the non-alcoholic beer Buckler (ack!) against Heineken.

The week concludes on Thursday with a day on general student welfare and a gig in the University Concert Hall featuring comedian Patrick Kielty.