One of the main rehabilitation centres for adolescent drug users in Dublin is piloting a new scheme offering one-off assessments to young people with similar issues in other parts of the country.

Teenagers who have built up drug debts are being intimidated with guns, according to an expert in adolescent drug treatment.

A SERVICE dealing with young drug users has said addicts are having to wait up to two months for an assessment due to staff shortages.

THE lives of drug-abusing teenagers have been put further at risk due to the failure of the HSE to pass on almost e1 million in funding for a treatment centre dealing with clients as young as 12 years.

SERIOUS concern was expressed yesterday at reports that teenagers — some as young as 14 — were going to drug parties where couples were openly having sex.