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Another Shoalhaven mother has come forward to tell of her anguish and desperate bids to try to get her 17-year-old son, who is addicted to crystal methamphetamine or ice, help in the local area.
She found nowhere to turn.
The woman, who did not want to be named, spoke emotionally about trying to get treatment for her son, who because of his age has “fallen through the cracks”.
The ice epidemic was the subject of a special report on ABC’s Four Corners program on Monday night which raised serious concerns about the way the drug is being combated.
“There is nothing local to help him with his addiction,” she said through tears.
“We just feel so helpless. It’s heartbreaking to watch what he is going through, knowing we can’t do anything about it.”
She said the nearest facility to cater for someone of his age was in Canberra and while they applied, there was a three-week wait.
“He told us he wanted out of that way of life,” she said.
“We missed a bed in Canberra by a day. In the meantime while he was out on bail after getting into trouble with police, he tried hard for a week to stay clean but he has been drawn back into that scene and is back using.
“We don’t know where it will end up.
“They need help when they want it, not when it is available.
“We know he has since been involved in robberies to try and get money to feed his habit.”
In an all too familiar story, the mother spoke of a child, who until two years ago was a loving son.
But he got involved with the “wrong crowd” which led to him dabbling in marijuana and in the past 12 months he stepped up to ice.
“It is an insidious drug and unfortunately it is so readily available,” she said.
She said there was also nothing locally for parents who are going through this experience.
“It is the worst time of your life and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, and while you want help for your children, we as parents also need help and support but there is nothing here,” she said.
“There must be hundreds of families in the Shoalhaven in the same situation as us but there is nothing organised to be able to get support.
“Locally, Oolong House has been fantastic with advice but they only treat people over 18.
“It appears all the rehab is mainly for adults, there is nothing for children, which to me is crazy, I would think they would want to try and stop addiction as soon as possible.
“It is heart wrenching and as a mother when you see such shows as Four Corners and other reports on ice, it doesn’t give you much hope.
“The pull of drugs is just too strong, it drags them back out there and makes them go against everything they have been brought up to believe.
“You can see it in their eyes, they just want to do the right thing but for some reason they don’t have enough power to do it.
“But when they are on the drug they are not rational. There is not even a glimmer of your own child there. They have a scary look in their eyes, an anger.
“And there is nothing you can do – it’s just heartbreaking.”
She said if there was somewhere local there would be some glimmer of hope.
“But they have to wait a period of time, withdrawals kick in and it is all too much for them,” she said.
“One of the hardest things for a parent is the police don’t seem to want to or can’t help.
“At this stage he is back on the streets looking for drug money, doing God knows what and we just have to wait until he asks for help again.
“And in the meantime we hope we don’t get a phone call from the police saying your child was found dead lying in some gutter somewhere.”