Young people are starting to use drugs at an even younger age.

Studies coordinated by the National Drug Council and the National Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programme (NADAPP), in collaboration with a multi-sectoral steering committee of government and nongovernmental agencies, have showed that the age of young people who decide to use drugs continues to decrease.

This was revealed yesterday at the launch of the Rapid Situation Analysis on Education and Harm Reduction Related to Drug Use, HIV and AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago.

The launch took place at the Kapok Hotel, Maraval, and is aimed at educating young people between the ages of 12 and 29 years about the dangers of substance abuse.

The studies were conducted at various facilities across Trinidad and Tobago in November of last year. In addition to the decrease in the ages of first-time drug users, the studies also showed that marijuana was not viewed by most young people as being dangerous. It also revealed most agreed that education and prevention messages, particularly those related to drugs, needed to be delivered more directly and in different forms.

John Paul Atherly of NADAPP said even though there were rehabilitation facilities to accommodate adults who are struggling with drug abuse, there was no such facility available to accommodate children and young adults.

He said a specific programme should be put in place in order to assist young people involved with substance abuse.