More youths getting high

Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator

More of today's youth are experimenting with drugs, with an increase in the use of ecstasy and heroine. That is the word from the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), which says the trend has been continuing since the last survey done six years ago.

"What we are seeing over time is that the age of initiation where the young person starts to experiment with drugs is getting younger and younger," Michael Tucker, executive director of NCDA, told The Gleaner.

With plans to go into the field later this year to conduct a new National Household Survey, Tucker said the council is also seeing a narrowing of the gender gap with regard to drug use.

In a comparative look at surveys done in 1987, 1997, and 2006 for the age group 12-24 years, alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana topped the early surveys. However, the 2006 survey showed a sharp increase in the use of crack cocaine, inhalants, and tranquilizers. At the same time, ecstasy, beady, and seasoned spliff were added to the list.

The survey also revealed that one in every 23 in-school adolescents was smoking, attributed to the easy access to cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The 2001 National Household Survey showed that overall, 5.9 per cent of the Jamaican population in the 12-55 age group had alcohol-related problems, 7.9 per cent had drug-related problems, while 11.9 per cent had either alcohol or drug-related problems, or both.

Alcohol continues to be the most abused substance, with 57.5 per cent of the population using, 2.2 per cent of that in the 12-17 age group and 4.6 per cent in the 18-24 age group.

Tobacco was used by 22.6 per cent; 19.1 per cent - marijuana; 0.2 per cent - cocaine; 0.04 per cent - crack cocaine; and 0.3 per cent - heroin.

Those with alcohol and/or drug-related problems in the 12-17 age group account for 7.1 per cent, while 12.6 per cent were in the 18-24 age group.

Tucker blames the increasing substance abuse by the younger generation mainly on the exposure opportunities, allowing anyone to gain easy access to their drug of choice.

"The laws governing the sale of tobacco and alcohol to underage youngsters are not being enforced as much as they should be, so they go into environments where these things are available, and they will buy, and sometimes they are offered," he said.

The other main reasons listed for substance abuse are peer pressure, stress release, and a mixed perception of the real harm associated with their use.

"Unfortunately, many of our local entertainers actually promote the use of ganja to our young people and tell them nonsense about weed of wisdom, and such. And because the youngsters idolise them, it's almost like law as far as they are concerned. So that is the challenge we have in the work that we do," said Tucker.

"The reality is despite its medicinal properties, ganja is a mind-altering drug."

anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com