By Randy Bennett
There is evidence to suggest that secondary students, primarily males, are using the highly-powerful and addictive methamphetamines while at school.
However, Research and Information Officer at the National Council of Substance Abuse, Dr Jonathan Yearwood stressed that without data, this drug use could not be linked to the recent incidents of increased violence in secondary schools.
He said research showed that young males were moving away from using marijuana and were now “popping pills” such as ecstasy.
“These substances, particularly methamphetamine have been captured in our data. Methamphetamine is also associated with violence, crimes such as robbery, burglary, stealing, theft, drug dealing, weapon carrying. Methamphetamine is a very serious drug and it is being used, being consumed in Barbados in small quantities. But what we know is where there is smoke there is fire because there is a lot of under-reporting,” Dr Yearwood told members of the media during the NCSA’s Drug Education Seminar for Auxiliary Staff of Secondary Schools at the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Horatio Cooke Auditorium on Wednesday.
Over the past few months, there have been several reports of violent attacks involving secondary school students across the island, with the most recent occurring two weeks ago when a 15-year-old student of the Frederick Smith Secondary School was stabbed multiple times about his body.
Dr Jonathan Yearwood
Dr Yearwood said more investigation regarding behavioural problems is needed.
“Young people, adults have certain psychological issues, mental issues, certain behavioural issues that may have nothing to do with drug use, so we can’t really paint a picture and say that everything is about drugs. There are other social determinants out there that impact how people behave.
“What we lack in Barbados is the investigative research that needs to support policy, action, programmes. Without having that research, we would just be throwing things out there. We’re hitting or missing; we’re making speeches without the type of evidence that is needed to support the kinds of programmes that can be helpful to reduce not only deviant behaviour but also drug use,” he added.
Dr Yearwood said the NCSA’s research also showed that while male and female students at secondary schools were equally using alcohol, males were the main users of marijuana. He said this was more prevalent among older secondary school students.
Marijuana and alcohol continued to be the substances most widely abused by students.
Meanwhile, the NCSA’s deputy manager Troy Wickham suggested that auxiliary workers – non-teaching staff members – at secondary schools across the island have an important role to play if substance abuse is to be stamped out at these educational institutions.
He described that particular group of workers as “the eyes and ears” of schools.
Troy Wickham
“Our theme for Drug Awareness Month this year is Our Workplace Our Future, Our Future Our Workplace and we saw it important to engage the auxiliary staff at secondary schools. They are key personnel in the school, they are the eyes and ears of the organisation and educating them will assist us in the fight against substance abuse, especially with our teenage population,” Wickham said.
“I can say that our last secondary school survey that was conducted in 2013 indicated that over half – just over 60 per cent of the population who took part in the survey – indicated that there were substances around or in the schools and six out of 10 students indicated that they were aware of students who brought to school substances, either for use or to sell.
“So we thought it was important for us to engage this population here today to engage them in relation to the identification of substances, the signs and symptoms of substances, as well as the laws around the schools as they relate to drugs,” Wickham added.
Additionally, he said, the NCSA planned to investigate the prevalence of bullying in schools in a new survey.
He said studies needed to be conducted to determine whether there was a link between substance abuse and bullying.
“In our primary school survey, we introduced a new variable which was bullying, and in our proposed secondary school survey, will have that variable as well. We saw it important to test that variable as it relates to its correlation between substance use and abuse.
“The proposed survey was to be conducted late last year but obviously with the challenges of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, we were unable to conduct that survey. However, we still have it in our plans,” the NCSA official said.
“We’re just waiting for the go-ahead from the Ministry of Education and we are ready to go. Everything is in place – the instruments, the methodology, everything – so we’re just waiting for the go-ahead from the ministry.”
One of the seminar’s participants, Deborah Folkes thanked the NCSA for providing the opportunity to auxiliary staff.
However, she called for the seminar to be expanded because of its importance.
“I think that what the NCSA is doing is really, really good and I strongly believe that it shouldn’t only be among the small number of auxiliary staff that we have here, but it should be a forum just to get the message out because what is happening in the schools really and truly needs to be looked into because it begins at home,” Folkes said.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
