AGAINST the background of what it said was an increase in drug use among adolescents in Clarendon, the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) held a meeting in May Pen last Thursday aimed at sensitising the public about the dangers of substance abuse.

“We have quite a serious problem in Clarendon. We find that there is a rise in the use of cocaine and ganja,” said Clifford Weir, NCDA field officer for the parish.

According to Weir, in 2001, the NCDA’s May Pen unit dealt with 79 cases of drug abuse which involved persons below age 20, compared with 41 cases in 2000. This, he said, did not include cases in schools.

“It stems primarily from a lack of education, a lack of awareness about the topic,” said Weir, who noted that most of the cases are concentrated in town centres like May Pen and coastal communities such as Rocky Point.

Weir suggested that adolescents are introduced to drugs, such as ganja, mainly by adults who send them to buy it, or parents who may sell it in order to make a living.

“They are given the tea, they are sent to buy the spliffs, they are sent to school off it and they survive off it,” said Weir, as he lamented that this made it difficult for NCDA officers to have any sort of discussion or interaction with the youngsters to persuade them against using drugs.

Despite this hurdle, Weir said the NCDA receives invaluable assistance from the private sector in the parish and listed SuperPlus Food Stores, the Clarendon Co-operative Credit Union, Versalles Hotel, and Sunshine Pharmacy among the businesses that help.

Sunshine Pharmacy acts as an outreach centre which, according to the co-owner, Winsome Christie, offers counselling to drug abusers. She said this is done with other members of the medical community. Christie told the Observer that as a pharmacist, it was very important that she played a role in stemming drug abuse.

As part of its efforts to fulfil its mandate, the NCDA will engage in a public education campaign that will involve workshops in specially selected communities around the island.

According to Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, director of information and research at the NCDA, communities will be selected through a series of evaluations and the NCDA is receiving J$1.3 million from the United States Government over a six-month period to fund the programme.

At last Thursday’s meeting, students from the Central High, Bustamante Comprehensive High and the May Pen Primary schools performed skits and songs depicting the effects of drug abuse.

“If they were listening to the words, they would take heed, especially if they have been doing it (abusing drugs) and those who have not started, would not,” said Novlette Lowe, a teacher at May Pen Primary School.