Councillor opens up about his own journey as youth addiction figures spark concern

Significant concerns about youth addiction and mental health were raised at the December meeting of Tipperary County Council, where councillors received the findings of the 2024 Planet Youth survey.

The report, based on responses from more than 1,500 adolescents across Tipperary, outlines substantial challenges facing young people, including rising levels of substance use, escalating anxiety, and high rates of self-harm among 15 and 16-year-olds.

In total, 1,737 young people took part in the study across secondary schools and further education centres. Most respondents were 15 or 16, with a near-even gender split.

The survey revealed that while many teenagers report strong parental support and regular family contact, significant numbers struggle with anxiety, disrupted sleep, difficulty at school and pressures related to social media.

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Almost half do not regularly get eight hours of sleep, many report missing school due to health and wellbeing concerns, and high proportions spend several hours daily online.The Planet Youth team, working with the HSE, Tipperary ETB and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, presented data showing that many young people in the county are struggling with mental-health pressures, disrupted sleep patterns and early exposure to alcohol and vaping.The presentation also highlighted that more than a quarter of adolescents have self-harmed, 6% have attempted suicide, and only a small fraction of those who felt they needed mental-health support actually sought it.

Responding to the report, Cllr Shane Lee said the findings reflected realities that many families face but rarely discuss openly.
Speaking from his own lived experience, he told the chamber that addiction “does not go away,” regardless of whether the substance or behaviour involved is alcohol, drugs or phones.

He said he understood the deep impact addiction can have because of his own recovery journey, during which he has remained sober for 16 years.

Cllr Lee said he witnesses on a weekly basis the numbers seeking support through Alcoholics Anonymous and warned that many young people represented in the report are moving towards similar struggles.

He described the figures on self-harm and parental supply of alcohol as particularly alarming and said the home environment plays a decisive role in shaping behaviour.

“Leadership starts at home,” he said. “If something is normalised in the home, a child will follow it.”
He expressed serious concern about the lack of available mental-health services, saying families often have nowhere to turn when young people are in crisis. He described seeing cases in which individuals presenting with mental-health difficulties were handed medication and sent away without meaningful support. He argued that this situation leaves families unsupported and young people vulnerable.

Cllr Lee also spoke about the stigma that still surrounds addiction, recalling that he had been advised early in his political career not to disclose his past for fear of being judged.

He said this attitude contributes to silence around the issue and prevents people from seeking help. “These issues are real,” he said. “If we cannot speak about them honestly, we cannot expect young people to look for support.”

The Planet Youth steering group will now develop a community response plan based on the findings, with further engagement planned with schools and youth services. Another round of the survey will take place in 2026.

Cllr Lee thanked the Planet Youth team for their work and urged that the findings receive the full attention they deserve. “These statistics are not numbers,” he said. “They are our children. This is touching every home in the county. We cannot brush it under the carpet.”