The possession and use of marijuana by schoolchildren is an ongoing issue, according to Feona Scotland, a Senior Drug Education Officer at the Substance Use Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC).
“For the past two weeks, we have been dealing with some students who have been caught with marijuana at the schools. It’s from 10-year-olds to 16-year-olds,” Scotland stated.
She spoke on Observer AM yesterday, along with Kim Martin, who is also a Senior Drug Education Officer at SPARC.
Currently, there isn’t a facility in Antigua to address psychological issues in persons under 18, nor a system in which minors can be admitted to Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital.
“Especially where mental issues are concerned, we don’t have anywhere. We don’t have a government system in which our youths under 18 can get into Clarevue,” Scotland said.
One of the challenges experienced by SPARC are situations where persons call to seek help on behalf of an unwilling person.
“The challenge we have with that is that they want us to come for the person…which is something we cannot do,” Scotland stated.
“If you know of a person…that needs help where substance use is concerned, in order for that person to get help, they have to admit or realise that they have a problem and they need help,” she explained.
Residents who do want help are referred to the Crossroads Centre Antigua by SPARC and receive treatment subsidised by the government.
However, there are instances where individuals referred to Crossroads choose not to attend the consultation appointment required to receive treatment.
“For example, you might have a person who drank or used something the day before…they want to go to Crossroads because of what episode they had from using the substance…The appointment is set, and they don’t show up,” Scotland explained.
In primary schools across the island, there is an awareness programme provided by SPARC, which not only educates grade five students about drug misuse, but empowers students with critical life skills including conflict resolution, stress management, self-esteem, and family issues.
Martin said the centre will launch a similar programme, Youth Against Substance Use, aimed at secondary students in September.
The four secondary schools benefiting from the pilot programme are the St Mary’s Secondary School, Pares Secondary School, Ottos Comprehensive School, and the Clare Hall Secondary School.
SPARC, which falls under the Ministry of Health, seeks to raise awareness and educate the general public about drug use and its misuse.
In 2018, legislation was passed permitting persons over the age of 18 to have up to 15 grams of cannabis in their possession, and cultivate up to four cannabis plants.
