DrugScope: younger service users need more appropriate support

26 February 2010
Young people frequently find that adult treatment services are not appropriate for their needs, with the risk of them dropping out, says a new report from DrugScope.
The drugs most likely to cause a problem for those aged 18-25 are alcohol and cannabis, according to Young people’s drug and alcohol treatment at the crossroads, alongside cocaine, ketamine, GBL and mephedrone. The majority of adult services, however, are geared towards treating heroin and crack dependency. The treatment system needs to be more flexible to effectively meet the needs of older teenagers and young adults, says the report, which is based on interviews with more than 150 professionals, as well as service users themselves. There are also blind spots that mean the treatment system cannot respond to shifting patterns in drug use, it says, such as a lack of information on the problematic use of skunk, despite it being a widely-reported issue.

Most young people entering treatment have multiple needs, such as mental health issues, lack of training or employment opportunities, or involvement with the criminal justice system, it says, and young people’s services should not be judged by the same targets as adult services. ‘Most young people who access specialist drug and alcohol services do not need to be prescribed substitute drugs and very few indeed would benefit from residential treatment,’ it states. ‘Some do not even need structured therapy related to their substance use. Almost all, however, need support on other issues in their lives.’

The report calls for a national ‘radar’ service to provide early warning of emerging drug trends, a national policy framework for young adult services and a review of ‘the basic assumptions and frameworks of the drug treatment system to take account of changing patterns of substance misuse’. DrugScope also wants to see a joint NTA/DCSF review on the availability and quality of young people’s treatment services across the country.  The quality of young people’s services remained variable despite the ‘welcome expansion’ in recent years, said chief executive Martin Barnes. ‘Gaps also exist in meeting the needs of younger drug and alcohol users when they reach the age of 18 and move into adult treatment services. This next generation of problem drug and alcohol users are likely to need support for alcohol, cannabis and stimulant use, not to mention the issues underpinning their substance misuse. Despite an improvement in the range of treatments available in adult services, the majority are still geared towards treating heroin and crack addiction.’

Available at www.drugscope.org.uk
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