A call went out last night for families to report drug-addicted mothers to the Ministry of Health so they can be placed in the system and given help.

During the Health and Family Services budget debate in the House of Assembly last night, Government backbench MP Ashfield DeVent said too many addicted women were slipping through the cracks unnoticed.

He said from his experience in his own constituency in Pembroke, along with his journalism work in the Island's courts, he saw that men were getting help, while women were not.

"I believe there are a growing number of mothers and fathers, but particularly mothers, that are neglecting their children through drug use," said Mr. DeVent.

"Males normally end up in the system through committing crime. But what we find with women, because of prostitution and because there are lots of men out there who will support these women with their habits, they don't end up in the system.

"It appears that the family has to come and say this mother is not doing her duty. People are embarrassed to admit that someone in their family is not doing it."

And Mr. DeVent said he believed there were lots of family members, particularly grandparents, who were stepping in and bringing up the children themselves.

He said they preferred to do that, rather than reporting them to the right agencies and seeking help.

But he said it was not easy for a 70-year-old man or woman to raise a small child.

"We need to somehow pull these people together," added Mr. DeVent.

"It's OK for grandmothers to raise these children to a level, but I don't think a grandmother is able to raise that child as much as the generation that came right before that child. It's a natural progression."

Mr. DeVent said that when men did not pay for their children or do right by their children, they were hauled before the court system.

However, he said the same was not true for mothers.

"We need to do the same things to mothers who are out there neglecting their children through drug abuse," he added.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome said he was only too aware of the problems of mothers with drug habits, and the knock on effect to society, but he said the Ministry could do little if it did not know about them.

After the debate, he said to The Royal Gazette: "We find it very difficult because if they don't commit an offence and their parents, or other persons, are caring for their children, then we can't act.

"We need people to report them."

But Mr. Bascome said people need not worry that by reporting the mother, the child will automatically be taken into care, provided the family can show that the youngster is being properly cared for.

He said: "It will be left in the hands of the same grandparent that is caring for the child, but we will just add and give the support services to them that they need.

"We need people to report situations like this."