BEER GOGGLES: Sheeralee Browne-Wood tries to navigate a path while wearing drug affected daytime goggles while Demi Grimshaw is about to drive a buggy while wearing high range alcohol goggles.
EXCESSIVE alcohol consumption was still a major problem in Orange, Lyndon Community Outreach Service program manager Michele Campbell said.
Ms Campbell said nearly half of people seeking treatment from the service have alcohol related issues.
“The biggest contributing factor would be the availability of it,” she said.
Ms Campbell said second to alcohol was cannabis consumption. She said cannabis was more readily available than any other illicit substance in Orange.
Ms Campbell said Wellington had a higher rate of amphetamine use than Orange.
“Ice seems to be big in Wellington,” she said.
The Lyndon Community Outreach Service partnered with community services around Orange to pull together a barbecue at Robertson Park as part of Drug Action Week.
The event was designed to provide people in the community with information about services available to treat people with substance addiction.
Ms Campbell said some people approached the barbecue for themselves while others sought information regarding friends and relatives.
Child and family worker Louise Hawke said one of the major concerns relating to substance abuse was addicts tend not to realise the effect it has on family.
“When you have substance abuse in the family children tend to take on parenting roles,” she said.
“In some more severe cases parents have no idea what their children are doing when they are taking substances.”
nicole.kuter@ruralpress.com