HAMILTON, Bermuda, Sept 15, CMC – National Security Minister, Robinson Perinchief, says Bermuda does not currently have a dedicated substance use treatment programme for young people and that the need for such a programme is growing.
In a statement to Parliament, Perinchief recalled that during a statement on July I he had advised legislators among this immediate priorities was the Adolescent Substance Use Treatment Programme.
“At that time, I indicated that I had reviewed the work undertaken to date and was considering how the proposed programme could be refined to deliver the greatest possible benefit for Bermuda’s young people and their families.”
He said that Cabinet has now approved the establishment of an Adolescent Substance Use Treatment Programme within the Department for National Drug Control and that this decision gives effect to the commitment made by the government in 2024 to develop an adolescent substance use treatment programme and reinstitute youth counselling for Bermuda.
He said to achieve full implementation of this programme, the authorities are now finalising its design and the recruitment for the new posts will begin in the coming weeks.
But the National Security Minister said that he wanted to be precise about the gap this programme fills given that the island does not currently have a dedicated substance use treatment programme for young people.
“Today, our substance use treatment services are designed for adults, and our mental health services for young people are not designed to treat substance use as a primary concern. Valuable prevention, counselling and support services exist across government and within our community, and I acknowledge the people who deliver them.
“But when a young person is already experiencing harmful substance use or dependence, there must be a publicly accessible treatment pathway designed specifically for them,” he told legislators, adding that the need for such a programme is growing.
Perinchief said the 2023 National School Survey points to rising rates of vaping, alcohol and drug use among young people.
He said trauma, chronic stress and social isolation are contributing to earlier experimentation and heavier use and that easy access through peers, and the normalisation of alcohol and drug use in the environment around young people, add to that risk.
“The consequences are felt in school disengagement, family strain, mental health crises and, for some young people, pathways into antisocial or gang-related activity. The data also tells us that more young people are asking for help. “
Perinchief said that the 2023 National School Survey found that treatment-seeking among students reporting alcohol or drug related problems rose from 18 per cent in 2019 to 27 per cent in 2023, with increases at every grade level.
“Clearly, this is a disturbing trend that must be addressed by a readily accessible and specialised programme for this age group. Young people are becoming more willing to seek professional help. Until now, when a young person has needed treatment, families, schools and service providers have been left trying to determine where it can be found. This programme is intended to give them an answer.”
Perinchief said that the programme as approved by Cabinet was developed under the direction of the Department for National Drug Control, informed by extensive engagement across government and the community, a review of international research, and an analysis of best-practice youth substance use programmes.
He said it will provide coordinated, community-based services offering timely intervention, assessment and treatment, designed around the clinical, developmental and social needs of young people, rather than adapted from services designed for adults.
Perinchief said substance use among young people rarely exists in isolation and treating the substance use alone, without regard to the rest of a young person’s life, will not produce lasting results.
“It is often connected to trauma, family difficulty, mental health concerns, disengagement from school or exposure to violence. For that reason, the programme will not operate as a stand-alone service. It will deliver core treatment, and it will serve as a central point for assessment and referral – working alongside schools, families, health and social service providers, community organisations and other government departments – so that each young person is connected to the full range of support they need.”
Perinchief said that accessibility is essential and that a young person or a family seeking help should not face unnecessary barriers.
“The programme is therefore designed for low barrier entry: walk-in access, referrals from schools, access initiated by families, and confidential phone and online options, so that young people can seek help in the way that feels safest for them.
“A young person who is ready to ask for help should find the door open. Reducing stigma and removing barriers are how we identify concerns earlier, connect young people with treatment sooner, and reduce the likelihood that substance use develops into more serious and long-term harm.
“ A youth-focused communication strategy, building on the Department’s existing prevention work, will reach young people on the platforms they use and make clear where to turn when help is needed.”
Perinchief said a programme is only as effective as the people who deliver it and that it will be delivered by a dedicated team of five new posts specifically created for this programme.
He said that the Department for National Drug Control has secured US$450,000 in the 2026/27 budget to support the implementation of the programme and that having acquired Cabinet approval for the programme, the next few months will be devoted to building and developing it: recruiting the team, finalising clinical protocols, and establishing referral pathways with schools and partner agencies.
The programme is targeted to begin receiving young people in March 2027, and as the programme becomes fully established, its ongoing requirements will be considered through the normal budget process for 2027/28.
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