Early school leavers targeted in heroin fight

EARLY school leavers who are experimenting with drugs should be targeted to prevent them progressing on to heroin.

A key piece of research into teenage addicts in treatment said half left school before first trying heroin.

The study of 86 heroin addicts (average age of 17) found that the average age at which they left school was 14.4, while the average age of first taking heroin was 14.8.

“This highlights a missed opportunity to intervene before some of these early school leavers have progressed to heroin use,” said the research published in the current edition of the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.

Previous studies had identified early school leavers being at high risk of problematic drug use. It said the average use of first using any illegal drug was 12.4. Cannabis was the first drug used by 83% of these young people.

“Research has clearly demonstrated an association between cannabis use and poor educational outcomes, especially early school leaving,” said the report.

Early school leavers not employed or attending alternative education services were particularly vulnerable, as well as marginalised and difficult to access.

It said 57% had never worked after leaving school. The report said other researchers had recommended outreach services and young people trained as peer educators to make contact with this group. “Such strategies may prevent some of these early school leavers from progressing further in their drug use to heroin experimentation and dependency, and engage those already using heroin into treatment at an earlier stage.”

The report was conducted by psychiatrists John Fagan, Leena Naughton and Bobby Smyth, all from the Drug Treatment Centre Board. The 86 teenagers were being treated for opiate abuse (heroin or heroin and methadone) at the Young Persons Programme for under-19s at the clinic.

Almost half of the group had a history of being homeless, with 29% being homeless in the month before assessment. “This exposes the young person to a marginalised group, many of whom are older, using drugs and/or engaged in crime, through which they may accumulate further harm, including progression to injection.” Nearly half had a criminal conviction and almost 40% were facing charges.