Iceland’s Minister of Social Affairs and Equality has secured 500 million ISK to the construction of a substance abuse treatment facility specifically for children, reports RÚV.
“We’ve secured the funds for the project and will be commissioning designs and construction bids as quickly as possible,” said the minister, Þorsteinn Víglundsson. “I’m hoping that by securing this facility we will have the tools to deal with the complex issue of youth addiction.”
The chairman of the Government’s Agency for Child Protection, Bragi Guðbrandsson, confirmed that calls for a facility to treat substance addiction among children and young people have been ongoing for many years and is especially relevant now as Icelandic children are exposed to stronger drugs.
Bragi told RÚV that the agency is especially worried about children who are injecting hard drugs, as these children and youths are more likely to be socially isolated and to suffer from mental health issues.
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