More teens treated for drug addictions
Aislinn Adolescent Addiction Treatment Centre, Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, caters for 15 to 21-year-olds who want to kick alcohol and drug habits.
While alcohol is still the main drug of misuse, numbers attending for problem alcohol use over the past year has dipped to 56% down from 70% in 2001.
But most worrying is a 9% increase in the numbers addicted to cannabis and a hike of 6% in those addicted to heroin.
Of those attending for treatment, 95% are addicted to more than one drug compared to between 30% and 40% of dual addiction among adults attending services geared towards them in the Southeast.
The South Eastern Health Board's Drugs Misuse 2002 report shows that 338 Carlow residents were treated for addiction in 2002, 259 from Kilkenny, 219 from south Tipperary, 433 from Waterford and 268 from
Wexford. Most, 72%, sought treatment for alcohol abuse down 5% from 2001.
The figures also show 16% of adults from the region sought treatment for cannabis abuse up 3%. Heroin abuse treatment is also up 1% to 5%.
The numbers from cannabis abuse are up 1% and 2% in Carlow, south Tipperary and Waterford, but the numbers from Kilkenny looking for help for cannabis abuse is up by 50%.
Of those who sought treatment for heroin use, a quarter had injected in the month prior to treatment and 5% had shared equipment, up on the 2001 level.
A third of addicts getting help had a secondary drug of misuse. Cannabis was the most frequently used at 40%, followed by alcohol at 19% and MDMA at 18%.
An analysis of the employment status of addicts looking for help shows that more than a third were in paid employment.
The majority of them almost three-quarters had reached second level before leaving full-time education.
More than nine out of 10 were classed as living in stable accommodation either in their own homes, rented accommodation or with family members. The vast majority, 85%, were not living with a drug user.
Of adults seeking help, almost half were referred by a counsellor. One in seven were referred by an employer or were related to the addict.
Almost one in 10 came from hostels while 7% came either from schools or school liaison officers.
Since 2000, there has been a slight increase in the number of referrals from GPs and a fall of 6% in referrals from hospitals.
And virtually all who were treated in the Southeast had addresses there. Two thirds of these lived in urban rather than rural areas.
South Eastern Health Board chief executive Pat McLoughlin said it was chilling to see alcohol was still the main drug of misuse in the
region. "In the past 30 years, we have made great strides where treatment of alcoholism is concerned. But we have made very little progress where prevention and education is concerned.
"I think we need to reflect on this as a society to look at our attitude, our culture and the lessons that are in this issue.
"The cost of alcoholism is now four times the cost of running this health board. It is critical that we plan for the future and provide more treatment agencies.
"We have had patchy debate in the past about alcohol and drugs. Action has to be sustained." he said.
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