Scare tactics and lies used to emphasise the point. When similar scare stories about drugs have been disproved it becomes counter productive and leads to more not less risk taking. When they have a genuine problem will people believe their stats?

Hogwarts: warning of genital warts epidemic at IT Tralee
21/03/2011 12:51 pmAn email sent out to all IT Tralee students warning of a genital warts outbreak affecting "every second student" was a "stretch of the truth", according to the college's welfare officer.

The email initially outlined the extent of the epidemic, dubbed the "Dose of Tralee" at "Hogwarts", and was published on social news website Reddit Ireland.

In the email, sent from the Vice President's address to all students, it says: "Students. Please be advised that there is a genital warts epidemic in the college."

"I have been contacted by the Gum clinic who have said that every second student that appears to them from the college, is either carrying the virus or has visible warts."

The email also alerts students to appointment times for check-ups and that "this is not a joke".

When contacted by JOE.ie, IT Tralee's welfare officer told us that the "epidemic" email was a stretch of the truth but that it has raised great awareness among students and has them all talking.

"It was a stretch of the truth but I still think it's very important that students get checked out," Katie, the welfare officer at IT Tralee said.

"They [the students] are all talking about it and saying, 'I can't believe it, I can't believe it'. One in two students haven't been screened so there's no big epidemic."