Cuan Mhuire addiction treatment center’s addiction counselor, Co Limerick, has revealed that there has been a dramatic increase in the people seeking help to give up cocaine addiction. Even the Minister for State at the Department of Health Catherine Byrne has acknowledged that the concerns over cocaine addiction are emerging day by day which is not only sad and dangerous but all challenging to deal with. Owing to this, many options of rehab for teenagers have opened up worldwide.
The addiction is growing rapidly among young people making it a major point of concern. She mentioned that there are close to 675 treatment/rehab beds available across the country and €242 million was put into these services last year. She said there are no plans to increasing the funding for now but she will continue on her efforts to increase the funding.
Counsellor Michael Guerin has said that the waiting list has close to 250 young men waiting for the treatment this year while 2 years ago it was 60 to 75. The centres have 26 treatment beds but then only 6 detox beds are available thus pushing the waiting time way ahead. People need to inquire every 3-6 months waiting for their time to come to visit the center.
The detox beds are already 40-times oversubscribed as the demand is too high. The cocaine abusers are the highest and the biggest problem of the waiting list. They are in need of immediate help and crying out for the same. Guerin also revealed that the age of cocaine users is as young as 13 who have moved up after abusing alcohol and marijuana.
He said that the only instant help is the increase of resources and right addiction treatment across the country plus there is massive need of education and prevention programs in all the schools so that young kids of 12-13 years age can be saved from becoming addicts in coming future.
