The number of young people in treatment for drugs and alcohol addiction in the North has more than trebled in the past two years, according to new figures from the North's Department of Health.
In March 2005, 271 people under 18 were receiving treatment in the North for drug and/ or alcohol abuse, but by March this year that had risen sharply to 847, according to the second census of drug and alcohol treatment services in Northern Ireland.
Over the past two years the numbers in treatment increased by 10 per cent from 5,064 to 5,583.
Just over three-fifths were in treatment for alcohol abuse, one-fifth for drugs abuse and the remaining 18 per cent for alcohol and drug abuse. Two-thirds in treatment were men and one-third were women. The census reveals that almost 300 of those in treatment were prisoners.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Sue Ramsey said the increase in the treatment figure was worrying but the statistic for young people required urgent action.
"We need to make available the resources and specialist expertise to assist those already addicted," she said. "We also need to instigate educational programmes in our schools to make our young people aware of the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse and particularly to roll out peer education programmes."
Ms Ramsey said parents and other adults had a responsibility to set a good example while "off-licences, bars and nightclubs must carry out their business in a manner that does not contribute to the growing problem of underage drinking".
"The PSNI must demonstrate that it is doing everything possible to take the merchants of death who peddle drugs to our youth off the streets and they must be supported by the judiciary through stiff deterrent sentencing," she added.
Alliance health spokesman Kieran McCarthy MLA said the Executive must develop a comprehensive strategy to tackle the "pandemic" of alcohol and drug abuse by young people.
