Meth, marijuana, alcohol abused by children as young as 10, say Youth Projects Northern Outreach Team

HUNDREDS of young substance abusers, including children as young as 10, are using drugs and alcohol, with GPs frustrated at the lack of funding for rehab.

• First intoxication: Kids trying drugs, booze
• Kids vulnerable to addicts
• Deadly liver disease to hit children on bad diet
• Police bust $300m secret ice lab

CHILDREN as young as 10 are consuming drugs, with methamphetamines, marijuana and alcohol the substances of choice.

The Youth Projects Northern Outreach Team statistics paint a bleak picture of drug use, with 736 people aged under 24 turning to the Glenroy service for help in the past four years.

And counsellor Melanie Raymond said a lack of funding was frustrating GPs, who had few referral options for young addicts waiting months for help.

“A young person will face wait times from six weeks to three months for an appointment, by which time they may no longer have the will to enter rehab or the drug use has become worse,” Ms Raymond said.

Counsellor Melanie Raymond said more funding was needed to combat drug addiction in young people. Picture; Josie Hayden

She said effective treatment relied on addicts being offered immediate access to services as soon as they sought help.

She also revealed the Youth Projects Northern Outreach Team had missed out Federal Government funding to boost services and meet demand.

“There was an allocation of funds set aside by the Federal Government that we were hoping to see, but unfortunately the bulk of the money went to the western suburbs,” she said.

“We had plans to put in a community-based drug treatment centre but we didn’t get the funds to do so.”

The service missed out on money distributed by North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network to drug and alcohol services across Melbourne’s north and west.

Hundreds of young people have turned to the Youth Projects Northern Outreach Team for help with substance abuse.

Ms Raymond said just one northern suburb, Broadmeadows, received money for a multicultural youth centre.

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network chief executive Associate Professor Christopher Carter said the funding was allocated to vulnerable populations and locations.

“These services were selected following an open, transparent and rigorous selection process, with the strong involvement of community and alcohol and other drug expert representatives on the selection panel,” Prof Carter said.

He encouraged providers that missed out to be part of the process at the next opportunity.

A spokesman for Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, who declined to be named, said $550,000 in drug and alcohol services in Coburg and at Merri Health would be rolled out soon.

The Youth Projects Northern Outreach Team can be contacted on 9304 9100 or click here.