Six hundred clients sought treatment last year at the Government run drug counselling programme, Turning Point.

Turning Point is a Tri-Dimensional Treatment Centre that offers a detox unit, Intensive Outpatient Programme and a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme run out of St. Brendan's Hospital. Addiction issues which the programme treats include problem gambling, anger management, and relapse prevention groups.

Turning Point Programme Administrator Preston Swan said that last year 153 clients were admitted to the Inpatient Detox Unit. Approximately 30 clients out of the 153 were re-admissions. Admissions were predominately heroin detox which takes seven days. Alcohol detox is a five day regime. Approximately 85 clients are in the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programme.

Heroin tends to be the drug of choice among substance abusers, although cocaine and marijuana are also high on the list.