Demand for addiction treatment to soar

DEMAND for drug and alcohol addiction treatment is expected to soar due to the economic downturn, the HSE warned after it emerged that five people were referred every day in the first nine months of last year.

Latest figures from the Cork-based Arbour House treatment centre have revealed that during the first three quarters of 2008 a total of 1,300 people were referred to the service for a string of addiction issues, with almost one in every three referrals involving patients under the age of 23.

David Lane, co-ordinator for drug and alcohol services in the HSE south, said while there had been no significant rise in referral numbers in the six months since the last official figures — due to the ongoing economic crisis — drug alcohol and addiction services nationwide were preparing for a significant increase in demand over the next two years.