Molly pills, vaping and edibles top drugs being abused by high schoolers – NCDA study

A new study has found that molly pills, vaping, and edibles are the main drugs being abused by Jamaican secondary school students.

Further, the study by the National Council on Drugs Abuse noted that these drugs are easily accessible to students.

The study was conducted by the council in May across 13 parishes in 13 high schools among 160 students in grades 8 - 10 via focus group interviews.

Twenty guidance counsellors were also involved in the exercise.

“When we asked about the popular substances that are currently being abused, molly, vamping and edible are what came out as the top three,” said research analyst at the council, Uki Atkinson, today at a press conference at the Ministry of Health.

She noted that in the past ganja, alcohol and tobacco were the popular drugs among students.

She asserted that new psychoactive substances are becoming much more popular and accessible around the world, coupled with increased media exposure.

While noting that molly is a party drug that has recently gained popularity in Jamaica, Atkinson said, “We did not typically have a pill-popping culture nor do we typically have an injection drug use culture but things are changing and therefore it is incumbent on us stay on top of these things and try to prevent them and create interventions that are necessary at this time.”

She said the study also found that vaping was popular among students across all social classes and that some students are advertising the device for sale on their on Whatsapp statuses.

While not as popular, Atkinson said alcohol is still being abused by students and that they have sought creative ways to bring it into the schools such as infusing it with gummy bears, which are called 'Rummy Bears', and in water bottles.

Outside of drug use, the study also found that students were suffering gravely from issues of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and that these issues were commonly reported to guidance counsellors.

Increased verbal and physical aggression, weapon carrying, student involvement in scamming, and excessive sexualised behaviour and pregnancy were also among the issues identified that need to be addressed.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, while noting that the study was done in light of reports in the media of increased substance abuse among children and pill-popping parties, said that the matter was one that deserves national attention and immediate intervention.

 “What we are witnessing, as evidenced by the study, is a normalising of drug use, especially among our young people in a particular area. This is symptomatic of a public health threat, warranting for us an important response to gather more information and response in terms policy address.”

Further, he said, that globally there are concerns that psychoactive substances present a serious challenge to public health and this has heightened the demand for a response through policy to minimise, and hopefully eliminate substance abuse.

- Tanesha Mundle

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