DRUNK AT 11

Child alcoholics as young as 11 are being treated at Perth
detoxification centres.

A rehabilitation expert made the shock announcement this week while
preparing for the new year rush on dry-out services.

Anne Russell-Brown – regional manager for Mission Australia, Perth
City Mission – said children as young as 11 were being treated for
alcohol dependence by the welfare group.

Counsellors at the mission's residential rehabilitation program for
under 18s, called Yirra, were encountering younger clients all the
time.

Many were referred to Yirra by police or the Children's Court, where
up to 75 per cent of cases are alcohol related. Others were found by
concerned outreach workers in city and Northbridge streets and parks.

Ms Russell-Brown said that while the majority of under-age alcoholics
were aged 14 to 16, staff had encountered 11 and 12-year-olds.

"It's disturbing but yes, we see them as young as 11 and 12," she
said.

Counsellors were concerned that the use of alcohol was leading
youngsters to harder, illicit substances.

"I've found more than 80 per cent of young people with other drug
issues are reliant on alcohol," Ms Russell-Brown said.

"Those treated for heroin or other substance-abuse problems often have
underlying alcohol problems.

"There have been concerns that alcohol as a legal drug has been
ignored to an extent, yet it forms the basis of many problems."

A Northbridge businessman at work on Friday night said he'd been
saddened by the sight of tiny children caring for intoxicated older
siblings in James St on a weekly basis.

And an outreach worker, who also declined to be named, said it broke
his heart to see so many young people sliding into alcoholism.

"They do it for different reasons. They choose different things but
alcohol is just one way to get high," he said.

David Felton, spokesman for the Holyoake rehabilitation centre, said
most teenage clients were drug addicts with underlying alcohol problems.

"Because alcohol is normalised in the community it's not seen as so
much of a problem. But once you chat to the drug users you see that
alcohol is the primary drug," Mr Felton said.

"It's believed that if you use cannabis you are more likely go to
harder illicit drugs but some people are suggesting that if you drink
alcohol your risk-taking behaviour is higher and could lead to that.
People tend to take more risks when drunk."

Ms Russell-Brown said one of Yirra's clients, aged 16, had started
drinking extensively when he was just 11. By the time he was treated
he had a long history of alcohol abuse and was suffering
detoxification tremors.

"I'm pleased to say he has made a complete recovery," she
said.

Ms Russell-Brown said the mission had also had more requests from
families wanting help to curb binge drinking among
adolescents.

The mission runs day programs for at-risk youths not yet caught in the
juvenile justice system and also conducts a parental counselling service.

"The only advice I can give to parents is to keep the lines of
communication open," she said.

A federal campaign aimed at teenagers and their parents, to start next
month, will highlight the dangers of binge drinking at youth events,
raves, parties and at home.