Addiction service sees 80% rise in adolescent referrals

Cannabis was the main drug used by those referred to the HSE service, with 96% of those attending using it, while 54% were using alcohoL.

An HSE addiction service for young people has seen an 80% increase in the number of referrals from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, which it said indicated the level of "dual diagnosis" in young people seeking help.

The annual report of the Adolescent Addiction Service Report also shows there was a 25% increase in referrals overall last year, with some of those children and young people involved in drug dealing and drawn into money laundering, and that some young people were receiving "mixed messages" over drug use "given the tolerance for substance abuse within [the] community".