METH USE SURGES

ALCOHOL addiction remains the region’s greatest challenge for substance abusers but case workers say they are seeing a significant increase in methamphetamine use in Townsville.

The latest figures from the Federal Government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed more than 8100 treatments were carried out across the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network in 2016- 17.

Out of the 8025 treatments in North Queensland undertaken by clients seeking help for their own drug use, addiction to alcohol accounted for 3093 treatments.

Cannabis was second- most prominent with 2520 treatments, while amphetamines ( 1489) were third highest.

The Salvation Army’s Townsville Recovery Services Centre manager Bradley Whittle said the centre made about 200 assessments in the last 12 months and about half of those were for people whose drug of choice was methamphetamines.

He said it had been a “fairly steep” increase in methamphetamines cases.

About a quarter of local cases were for alcohol addiction while cannabis only accounted for about 10 per cent of admissions.

Mr Whittle said the data varied depending on what time period was analysed. Counselling, information and education were the most common treatment methods used across the region in 2016- 17.

Mr Whittle said the residential care facility operated one- on- one and group sessions as well as work- based activities. He said the community living and routines that came with it were part of the therapy.

Mr Whittle said each case was assessed independently but the average stay at the centre was two to three months. He said they did not treat substances, rather they addressed substance use disorders.

“We basically look at people,” Mr Whittle said.

Patients varied in age from their early 20s to their 50s and had backgrounds as tradespeople, tertiary education and long- term unemployment.

He said they were at capacity in the men’s section and had a few beds left in the women’s section.

There were 36 active beds in the adult section and eight active beds in the withdrawal management service.

Corrections services provided 1017 treatments for addictions across the North Queensland region in 2016- 17. people as