SYDNEY—Families are receiving help but many still need more support to deal with alcohol problems that a new survey shows have spiralled out of control, drug and alcohol experts say.
The Federal Government has been called on to expand its treatment services following the release of the disturbing new report on substance abuse.
The report, released today by the Australian National Council on Drugs, (ANCD) has found that one in 10 young people aged 12 to 17 had abused alcohol in the past week.
Among 16- and 17-year-olds, the figure rose to one in five.
The report also found that more than 450,000 children live in homes where adults binge drink.
Melbourne University's Margaret Hamilton said family members were often in the best position to help addicts take action to beat their problem.
But she said many families did not know where to turn.
"The report says we need to recognise that families need different support and different responses at different phases," Professor Hamilton told reporters.
"Sometimes it's information, sometimes it's a crisis response, sometimes it's respite from the trauma and just the constancy of the worry."
She backed calls in the report for the Commonwealth Government to fund stand-alone family support services.
"This is absolutely critical because it's generally a family member who's the first one to want to put up their hand and say help."
The report found that 78,000 Australian children live in a household where there is one daily cannabis user and 27,000 children live in a household where one adult is using methamphetamines every month.
Tony Trimingham, whose son died of a heroin overdose in a Kings Cross laneway 11 years ago, said families of addicts were now much more involved in treatment.
"At last our voice has been recognised," Mr Trimingham said.
"Support services were now more family-friendly, but the attitude towards families had not changed enough," says Wes Noffs, chief executive of Ted Noffs Foundation drug and alcohol support service in Sydney.
"I'd like to see resources available for families not just to come and visit young people who are in residential treatment, but actually to be able to stay over."
Family First senator Steve Fielding today labelled Australia's growing alcohol toll a national disaster and said urgent action was needed to address the threat.
"It's just outrageous to think we've let this issue get to this stage," Senator Fielding told AAP.
But Senator Fielding said it was encouraging the Government had supported a Senate inquiry into alcohol advertising, flowing from a bill he introduced that would impose tougher restrictions on the industry.
"It means the Government are keen to see some action," he said.
The bill would ban alcohol advertising before 9pm, require health information labels on all alcohol products and ensure all alcohol advertising was pre-approved by a government body and did not link drinking to success.
Comment was being sought from federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon.
Parents and family members can view the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) website: www.ancd.org.au and access Australia-wide help-line phone numbers.
Key Findings of Australian National Council on Drugs Report
STATISTICS
* In any given week, 168,000, or about one tenth, of 12 to 17-year-olds drink at levels where boys consume more than seven drinks in a day and girls over five.
* One-in-10, or 31,325, 15-year-olds binge drink weekly.
* One-in-five, 16 and 17-year-olds binge drink weekly.
* 451,000 children in live in homes where one adult binge drinks.
* One in seven, or 237,000, high school students have used cannabis in the past year.
* 78,000 children live in houses where at least one adult uses cannabis daily.
* 67,000, or one in 25, high school students have used amphetamines in the past year.
* 27,000 live in homes where an adult uses methamphetamines monthly.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
- The needs of families that have a teenager with substance abuse issues should have their needs recognised within existing drug and alcohol services, as well as being supported by stand alone programs.
- Treatment services need to recognise the need for family members to get treatment in their own right.
- Government and non-government services should be adequately resourced to deliver intervention programs to family members to help families.
- Treatment providers need to strengthen their capacity to deliver a range of intervention programs to help families.
- Family members of marginalised young people need intensive family support, in recognition of the fact that these groups often have a high incidence of substance abuse issues.
- Grandparents who have assumed a parenting role for their children's children as a result of parental substance abuse need to have access to additional support structures.
- There should be investment into researching the needs of grandparent carers.
- The impact of alcohol abuse on family members needs to be systematically investigated because alcohol is the most widely misused substance in Australia.
- All states and territories need to make it a priority to look at drug and alcohol treatment services and the ways families are being supported.
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