The head of an addiction recovery charity believes more community resources are needed to address the root causes of youth drug use.

Leslie Grant, the executive director of Focus Counselling Services, said some young people have a “very unhealthy relationship with substances”, often beginning with alcohol and cannabis.

Mr Grant explained: “There’s a lot of research that shows that cannabis can be very risky on a few fronts, in particular [young people’s] development into adulthood and so on.

“THC products like shatter and crumble are being produced in solvents, so that has even more physical risks.”

He added that substance abuse and addiction opened the way to unemployment and homelessness.

Focus Counselling Services, which provides support against addiction and substance use disorders, appealed for assistance after it was met with a 60 per cent funding shortfall earlier this year.

However, Mr Grant said the organisation was getting $150,000 as part of the Government’s $25 million social services investment package, bringing the charity back to pre-pandemic funding levels.

He explained: “We are not sure what [the allocation] will be for next year, but we are more than grateful for the additional funding, which allows us to put more energy into our services rather than trying to keep our doors open.

“We’re providing services but we’re nowhere near minimum staff levels to provide it.

“Ideally, we need two [additional] full-time staff members: one to be dedicated to adolescent programming and one for overall programming.”

Also speaking about the recent government investment, Nicola Paugh, executive director of the Nonprofit Alliance of Bermuda, said the organisation “looks forward to further, targeted funding for Bermuda’s social safety net and support systems”.

Dr Paugh added that investing in education, mental health and youth development programmes “can initiate a positive turnaround for Bermuda’s current socio-economic challenges”.

She explained: “Whether working to reduce homelessness, preserve the environment, support mental health or provide children with enrichment opportunities, non-profits generate long-term benefits for individuals and the community as a whole.

“Many need additional funding to sustain and deepen their impact.

“We hope the Government’s Throne Speech reaffirms a commitment to social funding and to supporting Bermuda’s non-profits, which play an essential role in our social safety net.”