What causes teenagers to become addicted to alcohol and drugs? The answer, says Sister Veronica Mangan, is simple: "Alcohol and drugs".
She allows a moment for the reply to register before explaining: "It would be lovely to be able to say `I'm an addict because of X, Y or Z'. The primary thing is they abuse alcohol and drugs."
Highlighting background issues, such as family problems, is dangerous, she believes. "You might have the same issues in another family but there may be no addicts in that home . . . We need to look at addiction as being just that, addiction to alcohol and drugs."
The Mercy Order nun is sitting in the tranquillity of the Aislinn Centre, an 18th-century house and former convent in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, which is now a residential treatment centre for drug addicts aged between 15 and 21.
She says it is the only residential centre in the State providing service of this kind for addicts under 18.
The decision to open it in 1998, adjacent to a local primary school, was initially met by intense local opposition. "Once we spent some time with the local people and educated them about what we were doing, and what we were providing, they became very supportive," said Sister Veronica.
Set on 14 acres of land off the Kilkenny-Durrow road, the centre is a haven of peace and security for its residents, who come for six weeks of treatment and then begin two-year programmes of after-care.
Sister Veronica saw the need for a specialised service for young people when she worked as an addiction counsellor at the Aiseiri Centre for adult addicts in Cahir, Co Tipperary.
"I began to see that they needed a treatment centre of their own, that they needed to be with their own peers. And I was inspired by a recovering addict who also saw that need and encouraged me to do something about it."
Sister Veronica carried out research at centres for young addicts in the US before the board of management and trustees at Aiseiri agreed such a facility should be established in Ireland.
The building itself was provided by the Sisters of Mercy, but substantial funding was required to adapt it to the needs of residents and take on specialised staff such as addiction counsellors and care workers.
Raising the initial funds was a "horrendous slog", says Sister Veronica, but a fund-raising committee secured £300,000 for start-up costs. There is now support from three health boards and the probation service, but the fund-raising never stops, according to the centre's director of administration, Sister Bernie Ryan.
"We have a full-time recreational therapist who has a room here, but it's inadequate," she says. "Our major project for this year is to try and build a recreation room which can facilitate 12 residents and two members of staff. We have to go out and look for the money for that."
The centre caters for up to 12 residents at a time, and last year 92 young people, from all socio-economic backgrounds, were treated there. Most came from the south or the midlands and each had a different story to tell.
"Addiction is a very individual thing," says Sister Veronica, and accordingly a separate treatment programme is drawn up for every resident.
The extent of the drugs problem is increasing, she adds, and young people are experimenting with a wider variety than used to be the case. "They're using a cocktail, whatever gives the buzz, really. It could be ecstasy, speed, acid, hash, alcohol, cocaine . . . You ask `How big is the problem?' We can only go by what we see here, and the demand for treatment is ongoing."
Alcohol is as much part of the problem as any other drug, she points out. "We're getting calls now from 13- and 14-year-olds," says Sister Bernie. "They're starting much earlier and they're getting addicted much quicker."
Education, particularly for families, must be part of the response to the drugs problem, Sister Veronica believes. "What we're hearing from the families who come to us is that they weren't aware of the problem for a length of time."
One of the warning signs to look out for, she says, is when a son or daughter swaps an entire circle of friends for a new one and becomes less open about their activities. Support for addicts' families is a major part of the service the Aislinn Centre provides.
The centre has an open referral policy. Potential residents are screened for suitability and there is a waiting list, but no one requiring treatment is turned away for financial reasons. "If someone cannot afford to pay we say to the parents `Your son or daughter needs treatment. We can offer a bed, and after that we'll work something out' ", says Sister Bernie.
Families with BUPA health insurance are covered for treatment at the centre, but it is not recognised by the VHI, which does provide cover for adults receiving the same kind of treatment at the Aiseiri Centre, she says.
Addiction to drugs is an illness, says Sister Veronica, but one with a stigma attached, and people need to address their prejudices about how addicts are viewed. "The clients we've had here have been extremely gifted young people . . . I've been working with recovering addicts for the past 12 years and more amazing people you couldn't meet. Fantastic people."
The Aislinn Centre can be contacted at (056) 33777
