The following are questions that Belvedere College Parents Association wanted answered by Chief Supt Brian Roberts of the Garda National Drugs Unit.

Q What drugs are our children likely to come into contact with?

A Cannabis, unfortunately, is everywhere. Young people are smoking "blow" at all levels in society. As a parent, this is very difficult to police. Cocaine is currently Ireland's drug of choice, but it is not that easy to come by. It's a nightclub drug and not a big problem among school kids.

Q How are our children likely to come into contact with drugs?

A Through friends, social acquaintances and friends of friends. Certain events, based around weekend raves, also provide opportunities for experimentation.

Q What should I look out for?

A The effects of cannabis, the most frequently used drug among young people, are quite like the effects of alcohol. Young people may appear distant, or "not with it".

Q Is cannabis a gateway drug?

A Not necessarily. Most people who smoke will not go on to harder drugs.

Q If I discover my son is smoking cannabis, what should I do?

A Talk to him about responsibility and about the possible side effects. Any garda will be happy to talk to him too, if you want to give him a jolt!

Q My 14-year-old son wants to go to a weekend rock festival. Is there a distinction between rock festivals and raves?

A Drugs surface at all these events but cannabis is more common at rock festivals whereas raves tend to feature harder drugs. Of course there are plenty of people who go to raves for the music, and not to take drugs.

Q If you have sent your kids to a good school, and made the effort, what are the odds of him getting mixed up with drugs?

A Such students will probably have brief, if any, encounters with drugs.

Q When discussing drugs with my son, how much information should I give before piquing his curiosity?

A Apart from that brief moment of enjoyment, everything else that I've said about drugs is bad news. You don't need to make anything up.