Helping families cope with the drug use of a relative
A PEER support service is reaching out to Wexford families affected by the behaviour of relatives involved in drug use or facing intimidation by dealers over drug debts.
As the county experiences a major surge in cocaine use, the South East Family Support Network wants people to understand that they are not alone and that support is available to help them cope with the consequences of a family member caught in the downward spiral of drug use.
‘We are trying to highlight the issue and let people know that there are services available,’ said Network co-ordinator Breda Fell who gave a presentation to the Community Development Committee of Wexford County Council, accompanied by development worker Catherine Foran.
The Network has support groups hosted by a trained facilitator in Wexford town, Gorey and New Ross, with plans for a group in Enniscorthy
‘This is a rural county and some families would be desperately seeking help and feeling isolated and not knowing where to turn,’ said Breda.
‘It can be a drug debt that has accrued, especially with cocaine which is a very expensive habit – a drug-related debt can be huge – and domestic violence is associated with cocaine as well.
‘The age range for cocaine use is 18 years to 50 and you’re talking about someone spending up to €200 in a night or €300 over a weekend so you can see how a large debt can build up. Some of them are married with young children and that money has to come from somewhere,’ she said.
‘The behaviour is very chaotic around cocaine use. We would see domestic violence,’ said Breda, adding that those seeking help for addiction problems are only a fraction of the actual problem.
‘A lot of damage can be done before people look for support, people can live very chaotic lives which can be hidden by the family because of the stigma or shame.
‘It often starts off with recreational drug use over the weekend and can then extend to the other days of the week. It can go on for years and many families are suffering.
‘We have a lot of grandparents having to step in, dealing with threats from dealers, taking out credit union loans to pay debts, people getting involved in crime because of it. It can be a very stressful time.’
Breda said heroin use is also prevalent and alcohol is a major issue. ‘Alcohol and cocaine do not mix. There is a very large risk of overdose with alcohol and cocaine.’
The South East Family Support Network has witnessed the increase in drug use in County Wexford, particulary in relation to polydrug use and the popularity of tablets among the younger population.
‘Before it was either alcohol, heroin or ecstasy, now it’s a combination of drugs because they are so readily available,’ said Breda.
‘What we’re trying to bring is a community response, to say that it is a problem and we have to respond to it, to make it easier for people to come forward and seek support.
‘We find that if families seek support early, less damage is caused to the family and they can influence the drug user. In our experience, it can support the person using drugs. Some people have said to us if only they knew earlier.’
Catherine said the County Council briefing was part of a campaign to raise awareness within the community of the drugs problem, to help co-ordinate the services and steer people towards the help that is available.
‘Wexford needs to respond. It’s about building resilience in the community so that we have the capacity to respond. The Council has responsibility for social inclusion and assisting marginalised groups and people in rural and disadvantaged areas to access services. We can’t ignore communities that are at high risk.
‘We would be asking them to support us to do a campaign and make the services more visible in the rural areas.’
Due to the widespread availability of drugs, there is not a town or village in the county that is not affected and some families have lost close relatives to drugs, she said.
‘There is definitely a big increase in usage across the whole county. It has spread everywhere. They have flooded the marked with cocaine because they know there is a demand for it. We would have seen the number of people bereaved because of it, which is very sad.
‘When we have something like the Coronavirus, there is an immediate response but we have become so blase about the drugs issue. It seems to be acceptable as long as it’s not in people’s faces. Cocaine is seen as a celebrity drug but they don’t realise the damage it can do.
‘We want the community to see how families are affected and how we can respond. We are here to help families, to respond to the emergency needs of the community. It will be at our peril if we ignore what’s happening on the ground,’ said Breda.
Last year, the network joined forces with the gardai to deliver a drug-related intimidation programme for groups such as youth services and family resource centres in Wexford, to enable them to offer safety advice to people experiencing intimidation over drug debts.
The liaison garda responsible for dealing with intimidation incidents in Wexford is Inspector Pat Cody.
The South East Family Support Network is funded by the HSE and the South East Regional Drugs Task Force.