The Caribbean Community (Caricom) continues to battle the world economic forces that has driven-up the cost of living in the region and made a reality of negative food challenges, which now exist in many households. Despite this phenomenon, the problems created by the drug trade still permeate the strata of society and continue to be a source of concern for the health, welfare and security of many citizens. For example, users of illegal drugs may turn to crime to pay for their habit, and this could affect the lives of family members, friends and generally other people. [continues 755 words]
Dear Editor: I find it simply amazing that a little country like St. Kitts/Nevis can have a total of 17 murders in each of the last two years. Everyone is probably keeping fingers crossed that it does not get any worse than it is now. It is a clear indication that as much as the security forces of the country are trying to keep a lid on violent crime the thing continues to bubble over. There is no doubt in anybody's mind that all of this started with something that is a scourge to many countries, illegal drugs. Once this is prevalent anywhere near the country, things like this will continue to happen. It therefore means that the authorities of St. Kitts/Nevis have to come up with a strategy that will effectively combat the activities of drug traffickers, local dealers and those who use drugs. [continues 224 words]
Regional experts associated with probation services will gather in Antigua next week for a workshop that will seek to devise alternatives to incarceration. The conference is set to run from 26 - 28 Nov., at the Jolly Beach Resort. The conference is organised by the Caribbean Drug Abuse Research Institute and supported by DrugScope UK and the University of Kent, UK. The workshop is also supported, in part, by a grant from the UK government's Department for International Development. The main focus of the workshop will be looking at diverting low level and petty offenders from incarceration and utilising community service as an alternative. Several local practitioners from the Probation Office and other governmental and non-governmental organisations will form part of the Antiguan delegation. Approximately 30 overseas participants are expected on island. [continues 113 words]
Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has called on the United Nations to increase the flow of assistance to the Caribbean to deal with the upsurge in crime, noting that "the bulk of violent crimes is drug related." He further slammed countries like the US for its policy of deporting criminals, calling it a "monstrous assault on several of our societies. "It so happens that the bulk of narco-trafficking activity in our region is linked to illegal drugs bound for North America and Europe," the prime minister told the 62nd General Assembly of the United Nations last Friday. [continues 280 words]
The Substance Abuse Prevention Division will be expanding its school programme this year in order to sustain its efforts to reduce drug use in the schools. "We are changing the programme and adding a new focus because we see how drug abuse in schools is negatively affecting our children's education," Substance Abuse Officer Norma Jeffrey-Dorset stated. She said they have observed that the children using illegal substances, especially marijuana, have been getting younger and younger. So, instead of providing sessions for one term in the selected schools, the officers will be targeting a school for the entire school year. Additionally, the department will be expanding the programme to outside school hours and extend it to the community. [continues 325 words]
Operation resurrection! This is the term that describes in a very graphic fashion the attempt to decriminalise marijuana. There are many political parties who have vowed to ease the pressure on the weed. Some writers are dreaming of the day when it could be placed in the fields, in the yards, in schools, even in prisons. The marijuana lobbyists are ignoring the results of the latest research that shows the relationship between marijuana and schizophrenia. Researchers such as Nahas, Sulkowski, Morishima have shown that marijuana smoking is as catastrophic as tobacco smoking. They have stated that marijuana smokers suffer from bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer and other cancers, damage to the T-lymphocytes, damage to the limbic system of the brain that is responsible for short-term memory and emotional stability. [continues 361 words]
A man, who said he was on his way home to make tea from cannabis, was arrested by the police for having the illegal drug in his possession before he was able to get on the way. Antonio Lewis appeared in the St. John's Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to the charge. Reportedly he had told his friend what he was going home to do shortly before the police came on the scene. He was reprimanded and discharged. The court heard that on Friday 27 April about 1:30 p.m. police officers were on mobile patrol duty in the Ovals area, when they saw Lewis, 21. [continues 71 words]
Dear Editor: Good intentions are no substitute for effective drug education. Independent evaluations of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) have found the programme to be either ineffective or counterproductive. The scare tactics used do more harm than good. Students who realise they've been lied to about marijuana may make the mistake of assuming that harder drugs like cocaine are relatively harmless as well. This is a recipe for disaster. Drug education programmes must be reality-based or they may backfire when kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers. [continues 109 words]
