Number of teens seeking help for drugs up

Treatment for the abuse of heroin, cannabis and legal tranquillisers has increased in the South-East – with a jump in the number of teenagers seeking help.

HSE data shows that while alcohol accounts for half of all treatment cases, the total number has fallen, while cases relating to cannabis, heroin and benzodiazepines continues to rise.

And the number of young people aged under 18 being treated has increased by almost a fifth on 2012.

According to the HSE Drug Misuse Review for Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow and south Tipperary:

- Alcohol was the main substance problem for 1,588 clients in 2013, compared to 1,705 in 2012 (-7%).

- Cannabis was the main drug for 604 clients, compared to 522 (+16%).

- Heroin was the main drug for 583 clients, compared to 529 (+10%).

- Benzodiazepines was the main drug for 141, compared to 97 (+45%).

After a number of years of decline, treatment for cocaine abuse increased, from 65 in 2012 to 81 in 2013, a rise of 25%.

The total number being treated for substance misuse rose from 3,719 in 2012 to 3,818 in 2013 (+3%).

In relation to heroin, it said there was now greater treatment provision, with 26 GPs providing methadone, with nine joining in 2013. They are supported by 68 pharmacists dispensing methadone.

The figures reveal there has been a jump in the number of teenagers seeking treatment for drug addiction in the South-East.

It shows that 225 people under the age of 18 received help in 2013, compared to 189 in 2012 - a rise of 19%.

The largest age group is the 18-24 cohort and their number fell, from 677 to 653. But numbers in the 25-29 age group grew by 12% to 474.

Paul Conlon of Aiséirí – a residential treatment service in the region for adults and juveniles – said there was “no shortage of demand” from the public system, with most cases coming through the HSE or the Probation Service.

“There’s no shortage of referrals and they are more and more complex over the last number of years,” he said. “It’s now polydrug use. It’s not limited to any one substance, but different types of drugs.”

He said workers at Aiséirí - which runs a service for 15-21-years-olds in Kilkenny and services for adults in Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford – are seeing the same drugs and the same trends as detailed in the HSE report.

“Alcohol is the gateway drug,” said Mr Conlon. “If it is not the primary drug it is in the mix and can be dangerous when mixed with benzodiazepines.”

He said they were seeing the same trends with heroin and cannabis and that they were grappling with more cases involving “high strength” weed.

In relation to alcohol, the HSE report said that 988 (50%) of the 1,971 cases were dependent users, while 578 (29%) were harmful drinkers and a further 401 (20%) were categorised as hazardous drinkers.

The figures show that one in six of all clients (508) admitted to having injected drugs at some point in their lives – up from one in ten in 2012.

Of those who had injected, almost four in ten said they had injected in the last month, compared to one in six the previous year.

In addition, of the 508 injectors, half said they had shared their injecting equipment at some stage.

Aiséirí: www.aiseiri.ie