New alternatives needed to fight drug abuse
Llonella Gilbert
03/12/2007
NASSAU, Bahamas --- “Real alternatives” are needed in the fight against drug abuse and addiction, the Minister of Health, National Insurance and Public Information the Hon. Sen. Dr. Bernard Nottage said.
“The answer will be positive if we have the courage to look boldly into the unknown, and without prejudice, search together for real alternatives to reduce drug consumption and increase our efforts to combat drug trafficking in our country and hemisphere,” he said.
Dr. Nottage was speaking at the opening of the 17th Annual Bahamas National Drug Council (BNDC) exhibition held at Marathon Mall Wednesday, March 7, 2007.
Also in attendance were Permanent Secretary Elma Garraway; U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas His Excellency John Rood; Co-chairman of the BNDC, William Weeks; Acting Executive Director at the BNDC, Marcia Munnings; and Coordinator of the Male Health Initiative, Ezekiel Munnings.
Dr. Nottage said no country has escaped the “far reaching tentacles of the nefarious drug trade and its attendant ills of abuse and addiction”.
“For most of this century,” he said, “countries have spent billions of dollars waging wars on illicit drugs in an effort to eliminate drug use and abuse. “In our fight, the government of The Bahamas has forged partnerships with many countries, and in particular, the United States of America, and has committed a significant portion of our national budget to this fight.”
He thanked local and international partners for their contribution, financial and technical. These include the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) the anti-drug agency of the OAS, the U.S. Embassy and the Inter American Bank (IDB).
Parents play a vital role in their children’s lives and hold a powerful sway over them, the Minister said.
“Sociologists tell us that young people in (the 8- to 14-year-old) age group,” he said, “normally condemn drug use and this attitude and behaviour are usually reinforced by involved parents.
“On the other hand, children whose parents abuse alcohol or illicit drugs face the danger of developing substance abuse problems themselves.
“Everyday young people are forced to deal with conflicting and confusing messages about substance abuse. That is why the Drug Free Initiative and the Parenting Programme are so important.”
But the Minister noted that the drug dilemma is multi-faceted and cannot be dealt with by a single project or programme.
“If we are to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of our nation’s drug problem and set the stage for the way forward, we must have a firm understanding of current conditions, the quality of our prevention/rehabilitation programmes, our available resources, and the interrelationship between our social partners.”
Mr. Rood who was given an award for the work the U.S. Embassy has done in the fight against drugs said he was proud of the partnership between U.S. and The Bahamas.
Besides the partnership with the American Drug Enforcement Unit, the U.S. Embassy has funded and will continue to fund programmes that develop surveys on drug use, he said.
The war on drugs will only be won through a reduction in demand so young people must be convinced to live a drug free life, Mr. Rood added. It is the work of the council that is going to help achieve this goal.
The U.S. Cross Border Protection agency has a booth where young persons can pledge to live a drug free life, the Ambassador said.
No comments:
Post a Comment