The tragic case of Max – father does not leave a good hair on the addiction concept of Tyrol

“If experts in such an accelerated society as ours can decide to publish a report every ten years, then when you read on countless pages in the report you think that the respective recommendation from the Tyrolean Addiction Concept 2012 has been adopted, yes the implementation status can be judged as ‘partially’ or ‘not yet implemented’ after ten years,” explains the late Max’s father.

“A few pages” about children and young people
“So does it make no sense to report at shorter intervals on the causes of addictive behavior with an analysis, because it would go unnoticed by politics anyway and because a certain number of drug-related deaths are expected as collateral damage?” Concept 2022 to 2032 some pages are devoted to children and young people with their current problems:

‘Target group especially affected by Covid-19’
“In the chapter on the effects of Covid-19 on psychoactive substance use, we learn the succinct comment on page 80 that the ‘near complete failure of addiction prevention in young people raises fears that the situation will worsen’. Epidemiological studies however, have shown for decades the increase in mental illness among this target group.The influx of people in the planned outpatient clinics should have led to the people responsible taking the right decisions.”

The Tyrolean, for example, alludes to tracking progress statistics with the associated consequences when planning resources: “Conversely, due to increased vulnerability, one should have assumed a decrease in resilience. For this reason, this target group was particularly affected by Covid-19, which came as no surprise to experts.” The rise in anxiety and depression is driving an increase in prescriptions, including benzodiazepines.

Months of waiting in child psychiatry
On page 100 it is stated that six hospital beds for addicts have been set up in the psychiatric children and youth clinic Hall in 2017, but that there are still months to wait. In addition, there are “major supply shortages” due to the lack of child and adolescent psychiatrists in Tyrol. Page 103 even recommends ‘to amazement’ the ‘establishment of an open psychiatric crisis unit for children and young people’, which is permanently available as such. “But why haven’t numbers been given that would have indicated such a need over the years?” he wonders.

“The hottest iron has just been touched”
What is probably the “hottest topic”, the concern for children and young people prone to risky consumer behavior by 24 CSOs for children and young people is “just touched on page 109”. We are proud to point out the creation of two assisted living places in the SOS Children’s Village. “Again, the figures for a needs assessment are lacking. And the problems of these care concepts are not discussed either.”

But in any case, the statement on page 123 that there is a lack of integrated care for affected young people in Tyrol suggests that this is probably the biggest disaster: “In the care of drug-using young people there must be structured networks between child and youth psychiatry, general youth care and addiction care are encouraged to guarantee tailor-made care.”

However, the Tyrolean emphasizes: “There is no concept for this and the institution responsible for coordinating addictions has failed at all levels, otherwise we would have inventories of stored progress statistics and a check on the effectiveness of care concepts for children and young people with problematic consumption behaviour. It is clear that the country cannot control itself.”

“An analysis is missing”
In principle, anyone who wants to use drugs must exceed an inhibition threshold. “Only an analysis is missing,” says the father. Above all, two phenomena that lower the inhibition threshold should be emphasized: vulnerability and addiction to experience. “Both would be interesting for an alternative child and youth policy.”

By the way: according to his experience, drug dealers in Tyrol are getting younger and younger. And: With the sale of ecstasy alone one could earn “between 3,000 and 4,000 euros per month”.

For two years now, the “Tiroler Krone” has been open to families with young or older children with drug problems. We are now dedicating a six-part series to Max’s tragic case. Read Thursday part 5: What a research into youth culture can say about drug use and society and what conclusions politicians should draw from this.