It was reported in the Irish Independent this morning that a report done by Aiseiri, a leading drug rehabilitation facility, found that more young people are now suffering from cannabis abuse than alcohol.

Aiseiri - which operates treatment centres in Tipperary, Wexford and Kilkenny - treated a total of 444 people in 2013, and found that 62% of admissions of young people were now linked to cannabis abuse. The report also warned that the problem of poly-drug or multiple drug abuse was now increasing at an alarming rate.

However, the report also found that alcohol was still the dominant drug for the older generation and that 73% of admissions to the addiction centre was for alcohol abuse.

The treatment centres also saw a rise in female admissions but overall the addiction facilities were male dominated.

The annual report found:

• In two adult treatment centres there were 226 alcohol addiction admissions compared to 23 for cannabis.

• The same centres (Cahir and Wexford) reported just 13 heroin addiction cases and 11 cocaine users.

• However, a treatment centre focused on young people (Aislinn/Kilkenny) reported the total opposite in substance abuse profile problems, with 74 cannabis cases compared to just 20 for alcohol.

• The same treatment centre also found there were a greater number of young people with cocaine, heroin and benzodiazepine addiction issues (24) than alcohol (20). "If we are to tackle abuse, if we are to educate, prevent and change addiction behaviour, we have to resource services for families," said Aiseiri chief executive Paul Conlon.

"While there have been some welcome developments in drug and alcohol policy, we still have no centralised structure or fund to support residential treatment, which we specialise in," he said.” Irish Independent.

For more information on drugs and teenagers, please see our ‘Parenting Teens’ section.

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