Eight year olds starting to use heroin

The Matt Talbot Adolescent Service in Cork said trends showed the onset of drug use for young people had dramatically lowered – from the age of 12 in 2006 to the age of eight this year.

Young people referred to the services, which caters for 14-23 year olds, are increasingly smoking heroin, using prescription drugs and carrying weapons to defend themselves against drug dealers to whom they owed money.

Strong evidence gathered by MTAS shows that combined benzodiazepines, such as Valium or Xanax, cocaine, and alcohol use correlated with repeated violent criminal behaviour.

Edel Foley, clinical manager at the centre, said there was also a real worry about the increasing levels of suicidal behaviour.

About half of the young people who attended services in January this year had attempted suicide prior to being referred, she said.

All of these young people were under 18 and had not been able to access immediate emergency psychiatric assessment.

Ms Foley welcomed the ban on head shop products this week, which she said were being used by most of the young people currently attending the services.

She said they were exhibiting extreme symptoms including extreme anxiety, depression, visual and auditory hallucinations and high levels of aggressive and challenging behaviour.

Statistics from 2009 for the free centre – which provides assessment, support and treatment services show:

* Referrals to MTAS increased by 70% in first six months of 2009.

* 92% of young people attending the service were multi-drug users.

* 85% of young people were involved in the juvenile justice system.

* 62% of 18-23 year olds attending the service were heroin users.

* Significant number of referral of young people under 18 years who have smoked heroin.

* 42% increase in young people carrying concealed weapons.

Last year, 282 young people were referred to MTAS and 562 parents and carers, which shows a significant overall increase of 30% on the previous year.

Ms Foley warned that the onset of heroin use among young people was "very frightening" and needed urgent attention and resources.

She said there are only 28 detox beds for an estimated 14,500 heroin users in Ireland and none of those detox beds are in Cork or the Munster area. Waiting lists of up to one year for treatment exist in the public healthcare system, she said.

Source: Jennifer Hough, The Irish Examiner, 17/05/2010