Heroin use sits at the centre of many complex social issues for young Victorians, not the least of which is homelessness.
According to data from Victorian homelessness service Vincent Care, the age groups consisting of the highest rates of homelessness in 2016 were young people aged between 19 and 34 years. On any given night in Australia, 27,680 young people aged between 12 and 24 years were sleeping rough or staying in overcrowded or temporary accommodation.
Similarly, heroin is a leading drug of concern for Australians, with 8615 patients admitted to hospital for heroin-related incidents in 2016-17.
From a survey taken of Australians with a history of heroin use and homelessness, it was found that the average age of first leaving home was younger than the average age of first using heroin. It could therefore be interpreted that heroin use is not necessarily a pre-cursor for initially becoming homeless, but experiencing homelessness at a young age may increase the likelihood of experimenting with illicit drugs.
In conjunction with this, a lack of secure housing inhibits the ability of an individual to effectively begin drug treatment. The absence of reliable and safe accommodation limits a person’s control over who enters their living space, thereby often increasing their exposure to drug use and reducing the likelihood of recovery.
Just as inadequate housing may contribute to heroin use, the money required to support a heroin addiction may increase the risk of homelessness. Young people are thereby often caught up in a never-ending cycle of drug abuse and homelessness, enhancing negative perceptions of their own ability to recover.
The causal nature of homelessness on heroin use cannot be assumed. Rather, the more likely reason for the association between homelessness and heroin use- as found by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute- is the similar factors that can be found to contribute to both of these social issues.
In 2016-17, domestic and family violence was attributed as the highest factor for Victorians seeking help through homelessness services, followed by mental health problems. Similarly, experimentation with illicit drugs is thought to be influenced by family stability and mental wellbeing.
These factors are found to increase the risk of individuals entering the cycle of homelessness and heroin abuse. A committed societal approach to addressing these risk factors is needed to reduce the prevalence of the complex social issues being faced by young Victorians.
(Featured image: Heroin use is a growing concern for Victorians. Heroin use is linked to homelessness. Photo by Thomas Marthinsen.)
For links to original data: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1orBkVKm-I3KoCyXIP2b4yjeaKVTxvl1E?usp=sharing
