NCSA reports students taking highly-addictive drugs at school

By Randy Bennett

There is evidence to suggest that secondary students, primarily males, are using the highly-powerful and addictive methamphetamines while at school.

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 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.

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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb