The Base Youth Centre & Childcare Facility “Illegal/problem drug abuse, a support group perspective” Presentation to the Joint Committee on Health and Children 15 th September 2011

Presented by Sharan Kelly (Chief Executive Officer) Amel Yacef (Youth Health Coordinator) James Hurley (Young person)

The context National strategies and policies emphasising prevention and education:  Limiting accessibility to specialist services

Recommendation Strategies to be identified to ensure a comprehensive inclusion of a youth centred approach in future policy

On the ground Profile:  Predominantly males  Low social economical background  Low levels of education attainment (poor literacy and numeracy)  Poor levels of physical and mental health  Generational history of offending behaviour and substance misuse

Trends 14 to 15 years old SubstanceIssues Alcohol, Cannabis, exposure to Headshops products (ambrosia and bath salts), experimentation with street bought methadone, Valium, cocaine  Using socially, recreationally bordering on nightly use  Poly drug use (they very rarely use a substance in isolation)  Poor school attendance and high risk of disengaging from mainstream education  First offending behaviours/ coming to the attention of the Gardai  Minor possession/ holding charges

16 to 17 years old SubstanceIssues Alcohol, Cannabis, Amphetamines, crack cocaine, sedatives, hallucinogens, opiates, head shops products  Noted increase in the frequency of use and the doses used/Binge use/ overdose levels in some cases/ Poly drug use  Total disengagement with mainstream education  Increased and strong involvement of JLO, YPP or justice system (Car theft, Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), assaults charges)  Noted resentment towards the Gardai and feeling unfairly targeted by Gardai and justice system

18 to 25 years old SubstanceIssues Alcohol, cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines (and other substances named above)  Most young people in this age bracket engage with us at point of crisis  Reluctance to acknowledge correlation between substance misuse and problematic behaviour until crisis stage  Many engaged with probation services and generally more than two outstanding fines/warrants. And Total disengagement of education mainstream or other wise and refusal to reengage  Introduction of heroin (no cases of injecting have been reported)

Additional issues  Increase in suicide and self harm  Increase in street violence (fire arms)  Increase in levels of domestic violence and child protection reports  Homelessness  Breakdown between community and Gardai

Recommendations  Complexity of the issue needs to reflected in policy  Young people in lower socio economical environments are at increased risk of problematic substance misuse at a younger age

 Youth centred, cohesive and holistic approach  Flexible and inclusive inter agency approach  The need for the youth setting to evolve from prevention and education to harm reduction and intervention  Need for support from specialist agencies

The Youth Health Programme Visionary HSE and Base initiative to bridge the gap between young people and specialist services

Challenges  Lack of understanding and awareness from both sides  Rigidity of the structures  Young people’s voice lost

Solutions  Reviewing structures (more flexible)  Building the capacity of both sides  Building the capacity of young people  Youth work, programmes and services  Inter agency partnership, family and community involvement

Respecting and listening to the young people and their families

St. Johns Secondary School my old school

Ballyfermot is a nice area

This is what you don’t see

Conclusion  Acknowledging the youth setting as gatekeepers (access, engaging and retaining young people)  Cohesive, holistic and flexible partnership between all stakeholders  Build the capacity of existing models

It is a different way of working not a different budget

Thank you