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wave 5 highlightsurbanlife

Lazy Lenten BunchIt may seem like a long ways away now but would you believe 74% of Urbanites gave up nothing for Lent. 9% dedicated Urbanites gave up chocolate, 3% gave up a bad habit and 3% gave up the dreaded drink.

Signs of Pessimism With the recent job losses in manufacturing and construction we asked Urbanites their opinion on the state of Ireland’s economic stability. 59% of Urbanites said they were slightly worried about the Irish economy and that they feel we are showing signs of weakening. 14% of ultra pessimistic think the bubble is about to burst and Ireland should fear the worst. 23% of optimistic Urbanites think we are pretty stable and have nothing serious to worry about.

Who gets Urbanite’s vote in the US presidential race?As the race continues for the democratic presidential nomination, we asked Urbanites who they would like to see representing the US on world stage. 45% were in favour of Barrack Obama and 37% of Urbanites would like to see Hilary Clinton take the role. 1% OF Urbanites had an unusual candidate preference in favour of Osama Bin Laden!

Social Networking Sites29% of Urbanites are a member of Facebook, 27% are a member of Bebo and 18% are a member of Myspace. Over 7 in ten of Urbanites think social networking sites are a good way of keeping in touch with people. 38% think they’re good fun and 23% think they’re a distraction from work. Nearly 4 in ten said their main reason for joining a social networking site was to catch up with friends. A further 31% said that they joined one to see what all the fuss was about. Over a quarter of Urbanites joined a social networking site within the last year. And Urbanite Facebook users have on average 39 friends compared to 78 friends for an Urbanite Bebo user.

www.metroireland.com

For more complete highlights & information please contact:Cáitríona Byrne, Research Manager.Direct Telephone: (01) 6375968Email: [email protected]


Knowledgeable Opinion FormersWe gave Urbanites a variety of topics and asked them if a conversation came up in the pub on any of these topics would they be able to knowledgably talk about them. The chart below gives a breakdown of the extent of Urbanite’s knowledge.

Global WarmingCelebritiesReligionIrish PoliticsThe US ElectionThe situation in IraqTerrorismPoverty in AfricaEnglish Premiere LeagueRugby World CupChampions League finalWorld economicsAmerican politicsThe situation in AfghanistanGAA finalBritish PoliticsAll Ireland Hurling finalNone of these

Urbanite Pet HatesThe top 5 Urbanite pet hates polled are1. People who drop litter 72%2. Unhelpful shop assistants 64%3. Queuing for anything for more than 5 minutes 53%4. People begging on streets 50%5. Hesitant or really slow drivers 47%

Urbanites & Ethics37% of Urbanites say they absolutely avoid buying from what they consider to be ‘bad’ or unethical companies Urbanites consider companies such as Fairtrade, The Body Shop and Diageo to be leading the way in socially responsible behaviour. Urbanites consider Marks & Spencer, The Body Shop and Toyota to lead the way in environmentally responsible practices. In terms of recycling 90% of Urbanites regularly recycle paper and 86% regularly recycle bottles and cardboard. 71% of Urbanites believe their city council does not do enough to promote recycling.



• I think the Gardai should not be targeting individuals in pubs/clubs but rather concen-trate on their plans to find the crime lords who are bringing it into the country. Stopping individuals and arresting them for possesion of a tiny amount will not curb the recent spate of drug related deaths because as long as the Drug Lords are still bringing it into the country people will still be able to get it from somewhere. What i think is digraceful is the emphasis in the media over high profile drug deaths. For instance 'tragic' Katie Frenchs death. I agree that it was a tragedy for such a young woman to die but the point is that she took the drugs willingly and even admitted to using cocaine in the past so wasting Gardai time searching for the people who supplied her with the drugs is pretty pointless to me. They don't do the same for regular people who die from overdoses.How the Gardai can deem one persons life as more important then another is beyond me. And the media is even worse for printing front page after front page of pretty much the same story and how they are closer to 'finding Katie's drug supplier'. GRRRRRRRR.

• Drugs are the worst invention and it is a primary in the instigation of crime. Drug barons should be locked up and the key thrown away.

• Of course it is. But that's the same all over the world. Ireland is considered one of the highest in comparrison to it's population. I've lived in a few di�erent countries and I think the gardai needs to crack down on the people bringing it into the country rather than going around pubs ruining peoples nights. The embarrassment that you're caused if you're falsey stopped and searched is ridiculous. They should be spending more time intercept-ing the big dealers, and gangs shooting each other than people on a night out. If it wasn't in the country in the first place, people wouldn't be able to buy it! The gardai are a joke in this country!

• I think prevention is better than cure. Go after the users via education rather than enforcement. Go after the Mister Bigs, none of them are in Ireland, they all live in Spain or the Netherlands.


Metro Life55% of Urbanites are regular readers of Metro Life. The top 3 favourite Metro Life sections are:1. Music reviews2. Restaurant reviews3. Gig reviews

The three most frequently read sections of Metro are:1. Mail Metro2. Guilty Pleasures3. 60 Second Interview

We helped out several clients in this wave of Urban Life and covered the following topics:Laser Eye SurgeryCharityInsperiencesCorporate responsibility



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• I dont think this will solve the problem, less people with use in pubs & clubs, house parties and the such are where the large amounts of drugs can be found. Even if a person is caught with possession of drugs once it goes to court nothing is dont - they end up getting a fine and thats it - the courts need to be a lot stricter and pass down harsher punishments.

• Drug abuse is a huge factor in Ireland crime problems and not enough is done about stopping it. The money that is wasting on sending useless ministers on a freebie holiday to "sunnier climates" for the St Patricks Festivals, should be put towards the crime prevention instead!

• I think people who are taking drugs these days is due to ignorance of the dangers they can cause as it is seen as fashionable since so many celebs are caught in the act like Kate Moss for example. She was caught red handed but did it do her career any damage? No! Infact she seems to have become even more popular with advertising agencies. What type of a message is this giving to young people who look up to these celebs?

• Of course drug abuse is responsible for some of Ireland's crime problems, it alters the mind and atops youthinking rationally. Tackling it at that stage is too late. You have to look at why people turn to drugs in the first place. for every friend i have who started taking recreational drugs for a thrill or out of curiousity theres another who began to escape from something in their lives.

• I think any initiative taken to sort out the drug problem in Dublin is a good thing. The drug problem is on two levels - the a�uent movers and shakers and the very poor and the problem needs to be dealt with on those two very separate levels. As well as having undercover Gardai out and about on the social scene to deal with Cocaine use they also need to be more active and visible on the streets of Dublin. Everyday on my walk to/from my company carpark to my o�ce I see drug deals happening in plain view, often to women with their children in toe. I feel very sorry for the children who have absolutely no hope of a decent life. Even if a Garda walked right past them I doubt they'd do anything.

urban ranturban ranturban rantWe asked Urbanites their viewpoint on the drug culture in Ireland and what can be done to reduce it in Éire.

Here is a selection of how you are all feeling…

• The time has come (and passed) for this country to wake up to this problem and I think that any initiave that the Gardaí have come up with is a step in the right direction.

• I think the problems are getting bigger (if I need to believe the Media). Better (hi-tech) strategies is desirable and networking with other EU-countries how they solve the problem. Good and qualitive drug education for teenagers will be another important factor. To explain the danger of the usage of cocaine. That they don't need it to have fun, that it's not something to be proud of to use. There are so many other ways. Drug tra�cking will always be I think, that's nearly impossible to ban out of the country completely, especially because of the large coast line from Ireland, ideal for smugglers. I am convinced that drug abuse (cocaine) is responsible for some of Ireland's crime problems. It changes the behaviour of people!! And it's so expensive they have to look for other ways to get the money for there gram.

• I think there are worse drugs than Cocaine - like heroine. Get the people slumped around the street begging for drug money help first. Obviously people should be punished for dealing cocaine - but the majority of people who take it grow out of it in a few years. Pay more attention to the disgusting amount people drink - the people who carry knives - the people who make evenings out a scary place for normal people. But if the gardai feel that what they are doing will help - see how it goes before people lay into them. They get such a hard time o� everyone.

• The gardai may try this tactic of going undercover, but the culprits will just be more discreet in their dealings. People can be very cautious of strangers around them especially if they are doing something illegally

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