CHILDREN IN BARBADOS under the age of 10 are undergoing treatment for substance abuse, a troubling trend according to Minister of Health John Boyce.
Speaking at the official opening of Barbados’ first residential addiction treatment facility for women today, Boyce expressed concern about the tender age at which children were being introduced to drugs.
He said statistics from the Counselling Alternatives for Substance Abuse, a non-residential facility which caters to a cross section of the population, revealed that approximately four per cent of its clientele were under the age of 10; 49 per cent started drug use between 10 and 14 while 24 per cent first used drugs between the ages of 14 and 19.
The new Marina House facility provides residential care for 15 women and has been provided through the generosity of the Maria Holder Memorial Trust in collaboration with the Substance Abuse Foundation.
Chairman of the Maria Holder Memorial Trust Christopher Holder said the Trust founded in memory of his late mother would continue to do give Barbados assistance in the areas of education, health care and the elderly. (GC)
