About 35 children aged 15 years and under - two per cent of 1,714 clients - received treatment for drug abuse in 2005, a report, compiled by the National Focal Point for Drugs and Drug Addiction shows.

Figures outlining the drug situation were published yesterday as the government launched a draft National Drugs Policy for consultation.

According to the report, half the clients injected drugs intravenously and 57 per cent were daily users.

More than a third who received treatment for drug abuse for the first time in 2005 were teenagers aged between 15 and 19, up from under 30 per cent the year before.

Just over half of first-time clients were under 25. The report shows that the mean age of first use for any drug is 13 years.

European School Survey Project On Alcohol And Other Drugs (ESPAD) studies carried out since 1995 have shown an upward trend in cannabis use among 15- to 16-year-olds in Malta.

Sixty-five per cent of the 1,714 clients who received treatment last year had resorted to heroin before they turned 20, with the majority starting at 17.

The chairman of the National Commission on the Abuse of Alcohol, Drugs and other Dependencies, Richard Muscat said it appears more youngsters are abusing drugs, with the majority using cannabis and alcohol.

It was worrying, he said, to note these trends, adding that the government was responding in a number of ways, including the launch of the draft policy.

Prof. Muscat pointed out that neuroscience shows that the brains of teenagers are still developing. Drugs interface negatively with this development, leading to repercussions on their ability to mature into adults. Moreover, the likelihood of becoming addicted becomes higher the younger one starts.

"This is where prevention plays a crucial role and, to this effect, the national drugs agency Sedqa is doing a lot of work to educate youngsters to adopt a healthier lifestyle."

The report, which analyses 2005 data, shows that the majority of clients - 84 per cent - use heroin.

The majority of those receiving treatment are primarily heroin users who also use cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.

Before starting treatment, 80 per cent of heroin clients, half of cannabis clients and 29 per cent of cocaine clients were daily users.

The number of clients rose from 1,444 in 2003 to 1,525 the following year to 1,714 in 2005. The majority of clients who received treatment in 2005 - 85 per cent - were male and 82 per cent were under 35.

Looking at the prevalence of infectious diseases, the report shows that in 2004, one injecting drug user tested positive for HIV, two for Hepatitis B and 62 for Hepatitis C.

A year later, another 42 tested positive for Hepatitis C. However, the report points out that there is a problem of underreporting despite legislation laying down that diseases should be reported to the Disease Surveillance Unit.

Five girls aged 14 or under suffered from non-fatal overdoses caused by medicinals in 2005.

There were more females than males among the 170 people who suffered a non-fatal overdose in 2005, with the majority overdosing on medicines, mainly psychotropic drugs.

The report shows that in 2005, drug purity increased in most drugs except ecstasy.

Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina said it was imperative to look at and address the problems leading to drug abuse.

The new National Drug Policy would bring about major changes as to how the country looks at the drug situation. Malta is one of the last EU countries to form such a policy, she said.

The policy streamlines the practices to be adopted by various bodies involved in providing drug-related services. It aims to improve the quality and increase the provision of services and provide a more coordinated mechanism to reduce the supply and demand of drugs.

Ms Cristina pointed out the need to bring about harmonisation among service providers. "We cannot afford to have people going in different directions," she said.

The policy includes 47 actions ranging from the setting up of a number of bodies to measures to reduce demand.

Prof. Muscat said the aim of the policy is to improve the well-being of society.

The primary aim is to try to prevent anyone from starting to abuse drugs. The minister said the draft policy provides a solid basis for consultation. Feedback will be received up to September 14.

A draft policy on alcohol is being prepared.

Actions in the draft National Drug Policy

•Setting up a National Coordinating Unit for Drugs and Alcohol bringing together stakeholders working in various drug-related areas.

•Set up an Early Warning System Network to detect, identify and report new psychoactive drugs on the market.

•Introduce personality development programmes for young children and seek opportunities to involve education establishments, youth organisations and professional bodies in the development, promotion and delivery of educational programmes on drug-related issues.

•Introduce effective parenting skills programmes to complement school-based education.

•Improve harm-reduction measures for those drug users who cannot immediately abstain from illicit drugs or medication abuse.

•Set up an independent Central Intake Unit that monitors and regulates service needs and provisions to eliminate the current fragmented approach.

•Develop coordination of social integration services to prevent potential victims falling to drug abuse and help rehabilitated users avoid relapse.

•Setting up a Drugs Court that streamlines drug offence cases and analysing the current legal provisions to ensure that laws cover new types of drugs and trends.