Nineteen Welsh children aged under 10 were referred for help with drink or drug problems last year, the latest figures reveal.
A total of 19 children aged under 10 were referred in 2014-15 - up from 10 in 2013-14
There were 26,385 drink and drug referrals in 2014-15 – the equivalent of 72 a day.
This was up 10% in a year, bucking a falling trend in recent years, with treatments for alcohol and cannabis at their highest level for five years.
Among those referred for help were 19 children aged under 10, up from 10 in 2013-14. In total, 82 under-10s have been referred for help since 2011-12.
Related: Young people in Wales drink more alcohol each week than any other part of the UK, new report reveals
However, referrals for children aged 10 to 14 have dropped in recent years, going down from 398 in 2013-14 to 340 in 2014-15.
The fastest rise in referrals is among those aged 60-plus – up 18% in a year, from 1,259 to 1,488 in 2014-15. There was a rise of 20% for men and 15% for women.
Problems for those in their 30s
Referrals for women in their 20s have dropped, down 2% from 1,883 to 1,774.
People aged 30 to 39 are the most likely to be referred for substance misuse problems, with 2,523 referrals in 2014-15, or 2,210 per 100,000 of the population.
The total number of clients assessed in 2014-15 was 20,766, up 11% from 2013-14 (18,630).
In 2014-15 the number of “drug clients “assessed was 9,009 compared with 11,273 “alcohol clients”.
Men accounted for 62% of alcohol assessments and 73% of drug-related ones.
The median average age for alcohol assessments was 43.
More people seeking help?
There were 3,927 assessments related to heroin, 1,922 to cannabis, and 732 to cocaine.
The total number of clients starting treatment in 2014-15 was 16,922, up by 10% on 2013-14.
There has been a 60% increase in the number of treatments started for amphetamine abuse, up from 452 in 2013-14 to 717 in 2014-15.
The number of alcohol treatments is at its highest level for five years, with 8,020; the same is true for cannabis treatments at 1,556.
People aged 50 and over are increasingly been treated for substance misuse, with a 15% increase in alcohol treatment for those in their 50s, and a 22% rise for those over 60.
There was a 21% increase in people in their 50s being treated for drug abuse and a 53% rise for those aged 60 plus.
For cannabis treatment, the number of people in their 20s being treated is up by a third (34%) in a year.
Mark Leyshon from Alcohol Concern Cymru said: “Whilst further analysis is needed, these treatment figures don’t necessarily indicate worsening alcohol problems in Wales.
“Rather, more people may be getting the help and support that they need from specialist services.
“Nevertheless, alcohol misuse remains a pressing concern, and the need to tackle the key drivers of alcohol-related health problems, such as cheap alcohol sold in the off-trade, is paramount.”
Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “We are all aware of the devastating impact that drugs and alcohol can have on the lives of anyone suffering from addiction but this is even more acute in young people.
“Children suffering from addiction to drugs and alcohol are unlikely to attain well in school and the knock-on effect of having problems so young are severe.
'A complex issue'
“The Labour Welsh Government needs to ensure children suffering from these problems are seen as a priority so they get as much help and support as possible.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are pleased to see drug and alcohol deaths continue to fall in Wales.
“However, we are concerned the number of older people being admitted to hospital for alcohol-related conditions has risen for the third consecutive year.
“Tackling drug and alcohol misuse is a complex issue, which we are working hard to address.
“We are investing more than £50m every year in programmes to tackle the harms caused by substance misuse.
“In 2008, we published Working Together to Reduce Harm, our 10-year plan to tackle the problems caused by drugs and alcohol in Wales.
For full story see - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/children-younger-10-referred-help-10362609
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