Drugs can ‘play havoc with your life’

Parents are being urged to have difficult conversations with their children and young adults in the light of increasing drug abuse.

“With suicide and drug use being so prevalent in our country at the moment, it’s not the time to dance around your children. Have those harsh conversations.”

Those were the words of Christine Wynne, co-ordinator of SOSAD Cavan, following the publication of a Health Research Board (HRB) report, which revealed cocaine use has become more popular than opioids such as heroin for the first time in this country.

Addiction is like a ‘black hole’

Her comments echo those of concerned parents in the county who are part of the Family Addiction Support Network (FASN).

One mother, who is now a trained facilitator for the network, shared her story with the Celt of how her son’s drug addiction impacted the entire family, how he ran up a drug debt and lost a lot of weight before turning his life around.

Eileen from Redhills is urging parents in similar situations to contact FASN for support and advice.

READ MORE : ‘Addiction is like a black hole... the whole family gets pulled into it’

“Addiction is like a black hole. The whole family gets pulled into it because we’re all affected by it,” she said.

Eileen believes drug addiction should be treated as an illness and not criminalised and communities need to face up to the issue rather than ignoring it (see page 16 for full interview).

The HRB report found that cocaine was the most common drug reported among those seeking treatment for addictions. It accounted for one in three cases. This was followed by opioids - mainly heroin. Cannabis was the third most common drug reported, followed by benzodiazepines.

“I wouldn’t say the drugs are causing the mental health issues but they’re definitely not helping,” Ms Wynne told the Celt.

“We definitely have seen an increase in people presenting not necessarily with drug addiction, but definitely for mental health issues,” she added.

The national report looks at the typical age profiles of certain types of drug users. For example, cannabis is mainly consumed by those 19 years of age or younger; cocaine by those between 20 and 34 years old, while over 35 year olds are the most common consumers of opioids. The majority of drug users were male.

However, Ms Wynne says these trends are not as prevalent in Cavan.

“For us here it’s not a particular age group. We hear these horror stories about the young people - it’s not just young people who are using drugs, it’s older people as well. So it’s not just one fraction of people, it’s all across the board and it’s men and women.”

Ms Wynne finds that cocaine and cannabis are the most commonly consumed drugs that service users to SOSAD present with, and both seem to be consumed at an equal rate.

From speaking to service users, she says the majority of people are taking drugs for recreational purposes.

“People are not seeing a big issue with it, it’s recreational. It might not necessarily be an issue for them but, in conversation, it comes up that they’re taking drugs. It’s nearly been simplified that it’s the same as having a pint, it’s almost acceptable,” she says in a concerned tone.

“It’s the same as you having a pint and then you’re out drinking three or four nights a week. You start by taking one line of coke but now you might need two lines of coke."

Webinar

Meanwhile, a national webinar titled ‘Parents Matter: the role of parents in substance prevention and education’ will take place this evening, June 21, at 7pm to provide information about alcohol and drugs for parents across Ireland.

This free webinar for parents of children and adolescents will highlight the important role that parents can have on young people’s attitudes and behaviours towards substance use and provide information regarding local support services. Further information and a registration link to the webinar for parents is available on www.drugs.ie/parents.

Professor Bobby Smyth, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, HSE Addiction Services, said: “Our aim is to support the parents of children and adolescents across different areas in Ireland. While parents are just one of many influences upon substance use by adolescents, we know that parents are the most important single influence.

“Families have the potential to act as a major protective force in the lives of children and adolescents. Mutually supportive family relationships generally influence the prevention of substance use among young people.”

Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State for Public Health, Well Being and the National Drugs Strategy, said: “Drug prevention and education is a key priority in the Government’s health-led approach to drug use. It protects children and young people from the harms of drug use and increases resilience, life skills and healthy life choices. This parents’ webinar series can contribute to drug prevention and education by assisting parents to positively influence their children’s values, attitudes and behaviours relating to drug use.”

This online event will support parents to understand:

• The current drug and alcohol landscape, including the latest drug trends such as cannabis edibles and other substances of concern

• Their role in supporting healthy decision making by their children

• The reasons why we seek to delay or avoid young people’s entry into the world of alcohol and drug use

• The steps which parents can take to reduce the likelihood that their son or daughter develops a substance use problem

• The HSE Adolescent Addiction Service’s experiences in working with young people

• The information and support options for concerned parents in their local areas.

Six steps to protecting your child from alcohol and other drugs

1. Build a close relationship

2. Set boundaries and stick to them

3. Know what they’re doing

4. Don’t give alcohol to children under 18

5. If you drink, set a good example by taking a low risk approach

6. Talk openly and honestly about the risks of using alcohol and drugs.

Free copies of the HSE’s Alcohol and Drugs – A Parent’s Guide are also available for parents to order on healthpromotion.ie