Cork students win the Young Scientist and Technologist of the Year award for a project on teenage alcohol consumption.
From the 1,200 students taking part in the 51st annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) in the Royal Dublin Society (RDS), a project examining the relationship between alcohol consumption by parents and their teenagers scoops the overall award.
The winners are Transition Year students Eimear Murphy and Ian O'Sullivan from Coláiste Treasa in Kanturk, County Cork. Ian O'Sullivan gives a brief synopsis of their social science experiment 'Alcohol consumption: Does the apple fall far from the tree?'.
If parents' alcohol consumption and their attitudes towards alcohol, did it affect their adolescents, and we found that it did, and hugely.
These findings come from a survey of pupils in eight local schools. They found teenagers whose parents believe that it is acceptable for their children to drink alcohol on special occasions are up to four times more likely to engage in hazardous drinking than other adolescents. They also discovered that fathers' drinking levels were a major factor in teenagers' excessive drinking.
Eimear Murphy's mother Kathleen notes the project resulted in,
Some very lively discussions, especially over Christmas about teenage alcohol consumption and the influence of parents.
Judge and co-founder of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition Tony Scott believes the winning project is exceptional in its execution but also,
The social implications that this is going to have on attitudes of alcohol consumption within this country.
Other awards presented at the RDS include best individual. This is won by 16-year-old Rachael Ní Dhonnachadha, a fifth-year student from St Vincent's Secondary School, Dundalk in County Louth for her project ‘Brap: Boxers handwrap, preventing wrist injury in boxing’ This wrist-worn device helps boxers improve technique and reduce injuries.
Transition Year student 16-year-old Jack O'Sullivan from Kilkenny College wins the award for individual runner-up for his project 'Smartphone PC'. This sees a regular smartphone turned into the equivalent of a desktop computer.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 9 January 2015. The reporter is Will Goodbody.
