ADDICTION TREND CAN'T BE IGNORED

PLANS to expand an addiction treatment centre in County Galway focus
the spotlight on this country’s growing incidence of alcoholism, and
other forms of drug addiction - including gambling.

Due to the excellent work of Sister Consilio, a pioneer of addiction
treatment, there are now four centres catering for the problem.

In a worrying trend, demand for such services is growing. Out of some
1.9 million drinkers she estimates that 95,000 will develop an alcohol
problem. It is even more frightening that the biggest growth in abuse
is among young people and that more women are becoming alcoholics.

Tragically, for each person suffering from addiction, the lives of at
least four other people are affected. Society cannot afford to ignore
this crisis.