The Tribune

A 2011 Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey indicated that 40 per cent of high school students are exposed to illegal drugs, usually by friends.

The survey also showed that 28.2 per cent of all 12th grade boys had tried marijuana at least once, and that male students are using the drug at more than double the rate of their female counterparts.

Additionally, of those who admitted smoking marijuana within the past year, 28.6 said they did so on a weekly or more frequent basis.

The survey showed that the proportion of students receiving drug prevention education in school is “at an unacceptably low level”, and that it is not universally implemented in schools.

“The results speak to the need to implement and/or strengthen substance abuse prevention programmes in the primary schools with reinforcements continuing throughout the students’ school career while ensuring that programmes are age appropriate,” said Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage said.

“The lives of too many of our young people, especially young men who had tremendous potential to contribute to the further development of this nation, have been cut short due to their involvement in the illicit drug trade and the use of illicit drugs.”

Addressing an exhibition held to commemorate International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Dr Nottage cautioned students and adults to stay away from the sale, distribution and/or use of illicit drugs.

“The call goes out to all Bahamians and residents of the Bahamas alike, not to involve yourselves in the trafficking, sale and/or use of illicit drugs (as) to do so would most probably result in arrest, conviction and incarceration and worse, the loss of your health, well-being and life and that of family members and friends,” Dr Nottage said.

“Perhaps you have seen family members, friends or acquaintances being led to court by the police or you might have even had the sad and devastating experience of seeing loved ones lying dead in the morgue as a result of crime.”

Dr Nottage said involvement in positive activities can be the “greatest anti-drug/anti-crime initiative because once a person is focused on positive activities, they are less likely to get involved in anti-social behaviour.

“For this reason, we must double our efforts in transforming the minds of our youth because it is through the redirecting of our people’s mind, would we be able to have a change of behaviour that may radically reduce crime.”