Youth Alcohol and Drug Support Services

We have a shortage of alcohol and drug support services in our community - for people of all ages. Before we reach out for service support though we need to know whether someone actually has an alcohol or other drug problem. This can be tricky to work out at any age but especially with young people. It can be hard to identify whether drinking alcohol or taking drugs is a normal part of youth risk taking behaviour, is 'social use' or whether it has reached the 'problem' end of the spectrum - where alcohol or other drug use is interfering in health, well-being and social functioning. And there is the matter of a young person (or any person) accepting that they have a problem, want to change their behaviour and will seek support. Family members are often at a loss as to what to do when they learn that their child is drinking or drug taking. And they usually try hard to solve the problem within the family. Unfortunately an unhelpful cycle of questioning, monitoring or seeking to control the people we care about often happens and continues across time - and this cycle can result in family breakdown. It is therefore helpful to get busy educating ourselves about alcohol and drug use and to seek out support services specialising in this area.