CHILDREN as young as eight are among the victims of ice addiction, one Armidale youth worker says. 

Young people are increasingly at risk of succumbing to meth amphetamine addiction, and the devastating impact of the drug is hurting the Armidale community, Benevolent Society youth worker Tennyson Strong, pictured, says.

“We buried a 16-year-old boy last year,” he said. “He had been using for quite some time.”

Mr Strong said the boy was hoping to address his problem by drug replacement therapy, however, his age proved a barrier  to accessing sufficient treatment. “What we’re finding is 16 is the upper line of it,” Mr Strong said.

“I talk to kids as young as 11 and 12. You don’t get referrals … they walk up you and ask you.

“We sit and talk about it out of hours.”

Mr Strong said there were services that catered for children up to eight years old and others which assisted teenagers over 16, leaving a dangerous gap for those in-between ages to slip through the cracks.

“We’d like to get headspace here from Tamworth, because they can work with kids of that age,” he said.

“There’s only so much noise we can make as a community. It’s falling on deaf ears.”

Mr Strong’s comments come as Prime Minister Tony Abbott launched a national taskforce to combat the ice epidemic.

Mr Abbott said a combined effort  was needed to address the problem.

That would mean the justice system along with health and education sectors working together.

On a local level, it is agreed that a multi-pronged attack is the best approach. 

Armidale Dumaresq Council mayor Laurie Bishop said Council could play a role in addressing the problem.

“The role of Council is to look at community safety,” Cr Bishop said. “There is no silver bullet to solve these problems.

“That may include surveillance and encouraging people to lock their doors to prevent break-and-enters that provide money for certain drug use. 

“Planning youth activities is part of the issue.”

Mr Strong says it comes down to social change and individuals doing their bit to address the problem.

“In a town like Armidale, people know who is dealing,” he said. “It’s about leaders standing up and saying no.

“I’m sick of sitting back and watching it happen before my eyes.  A lot of the boys I grew up with are either dead or in jail. 

“I’m only 25-years-old and I’ve gone to probably 10 funerals a year for 10 years.

“People are dying – it’s killing people.”