Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy on Thursday urged students not to experiment with drugs and alcohol since this could lead to a lifelong dependency.
Speaking at the official launching of the Schools Anti-Drugs Edutainment Programme in the Queen’s College Auditorium, the minister said that through the programme, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Salvation Army, hopes to educate students countrywide about drugs.
Sheranne Isaacs, who works in the Adolescent and Young Adults Health and Wellness Unit, under which the Drug Demand Reduction programme falls, is the Focal Point for the project, which got under way in October last year.
Before directly addressing those gathered, Ramsammy handed over a copy of the `Behavioural Survey of out-of-school and in-school youth’ to the Queen’s College library.
The minister said the survey revealed that 54% of children in school try alcohol, while 70% try smoking tobacco.
“When you try something be careful because these are substances that lead to addiction,” the minister stressed.
He told the gathering, which included students from Queen’s College and St Rose’s High that young people tended to make choices that can lead to life dependency. He explained that anyone who continuously experimented with alcohol, would be putting themselves in a situation where they would become dependent on it.
“Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, are things you do not want to try. Don’t even attempt to try them,” the minister advised the students adding that they must learn not to make wrong choices.
He said smoking or experimenting with drugs and alcohol was not fun and instead students should engage themselves in more constructive activities.
Meanwhile Director of the Adolescent-Young Adult Health and Wellness Unit Dr Marcia Paltoo, said Isaacs had made tremendous strides during the last three months and the programme was launched in December last year with a media campaign.
She said the Edutainment programme has already started in secondary schools and will continue to be rolled out in schools across Guyana.
According to Dr Paltoo, education about drugs and their effects and consequences is crucial. She pointed out that Guyana has not escaped this problem; as a survey done in secondary schools in Guyana last year, has indicated.
She said that of a sample of 4,500 students, 38% of males and 62% of females were using drugs. The survey, she said, also revealed that the average age of male marijuana users is 12.6 years, while females are 12.4 years.
During the programme, which lasted for just over an hour, a dramatic presentation of the poem “A Burning Desire”, written by a recovering drug addict, was done.
