Monday, September 07, 2009

The Lucky Country

A leading children's charity says parents in an impoverished western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt are giving cannabis to children as young as six to "keep them quiet". Counsellors at a branch of a renowned foundation say the disturbing practice is becoming a trend.

"We are seeing six-year-olds being given bongs by their families to keep them quiet, stop them crying, or put them to sleep," a clinical psychologist said. "Our counsellors see it being used more and more as a way for families to control the kids and make life easier for the parents."

Mount Druitt and the suburbs flanking it have an average unemployment rate of 20 per cent, which is among the highest in the country.

"Kids are growing up in families who haven't worked in three, or four, generations and they believe taking drugs is normal because that's all they know."

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