MORE TEENS SEEKING TREATMENT FOR HEROIN ADDICTION

THE number of young Irish people seeking drug treatment has increased with
research showing heroin and cannabis as main drugs abused by teenagers as
young as 15 years.

The Drug Misuse Research Division of the Health Research Board has painted
a stark picture of rising drug trends. There has been an increase in new
treatment case rates for the 15 - 39 years group since 1996 in all health
board areas other than the eastern region.

However, the data shows that heroin abuse, the most serious drug problem,
still occurs mainly in Dublin.

In most health board areas, the typical client seeking treatment is a young
male, in his early twenties, who left school early and is living in the
family home. While employment levels among drugs users have improved in
recent years, they are still very low in comparison with the rest of the
population.

With the exception of the eastern region - where opiates are the main drugs
used by those seeking treatment - cannabis has emerged as the key drug in
all other regions.

Polydrug use is very much a feature of drug use patterns. The drugs
involved vary from opiates, benzodiazepines and cannabis in the eastern
region to cannabis, alcohol and ecstasy in the Southern Health Board area.
The most likely combination in other health board areas is cannabis and
ecstasy.

The research shows that the average age of initial drug use is between 15
and 16 years. In the eastern region, injecting drugs is a major problem and
the average age for those starting to inject is 20 years.

Drug misuse trends in the Eastern Health Board area 1996 - 1999 showed an
increase from 4,283 in 1996 to 5,390 in 1999. However, the number of new
cases presenting for first - time treatment declined from 1,648 in 1996 to
1,255 in 1999.

In the North Eastern area in 2000, some 265 cases sought treatment - up
from 49 in 1996. In the North Western aarea, there were 80 cases in 2000 -
up from 16 in 1996. Trends in the Mid West showed 204 cases treated in 2000
- - up from 45 in 1996. In the Midland Health area, 168 were treated in 2000
- - up from 70 in 1996.

Figures for the South Eastern Health Board Area show that were 345 cases -
up from 150 in 1996. In the Southern Health Board Area, 503 cases presented
for treatment in 2000 - up from 306 in 1996.