Drug addiction 'worse than figures show'

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by Change | 27 Aug 2009

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Addiction treatment experts in Northern Ireland have claimed that drug addiction problems in the region are much worse than official figures currently suggest.

drug addiction among people in Northern Ireland is much worse than official figures have suggested, according to addiction recovery workers.

Figures published by the Belfast Telegraph reveal 1,984 people sought addiction treatment services during 2007/08, including over 120 children.

However, campaigners warned that the figures represented merely the tip of the iceberg, with many more people suffering from addiction problems in silence and refusing to enter rehab clinics to tackle their problems or even admit to an addiction.

Of those that did seek addiction treatment, just under a quarter were 21 or under, demonstrating the increasing problem of addiction among younger people in the region.

Sadie O’Reilly, who set up an addiction rehab organisation in Londonderry following the death of her son from a heroin overdose, told the newspaper that more resources need to be put into providing addiction recovery services.

"There definitely needs to be more help out there, I’m always screaming for more resources to be made available," she said.

The UK government is looking at ways to tackle binge drinking among young people, with many fearing a sharp rise in the number of people suffering from alcohol addiction problems in the future because they are getting hooked on alcoholic drinks at a young age.

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