As authorities investigate a troubling case involving the suspected sale of psychoactive substances to primary school children, raising concerns over a surge in drug-related incidents in Barbados, Troy Wickham, Deputy Manager of the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA), has expressed appreciation for the strong public response to the reports.
Wickham urged citizens to take a more active role in addressing the growing issue of substance use and abuse in the country.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the organisation’s Voices of the Youth Speech Contest Finals held at the Prince Cave Hall on Friday, he said: “I am happy that so many persons are listening to what we have to say; what we disseminate out of the NCSA, it’s important that persons feed [back] into the NCSA.
“It’s all part of our drive to collaborate more with our stakeholders and the average person on the ground. We can not fight substance use and abuse or wrestle this problem to the ground without help from the ordinary man on the street. So I am happy that persons are paying attention to what we are doing and what we are saying.”
Wickham urged the public to remain vigilant, given the frequency with which new synthetic drugs are hitting the market, many of which are being sold to young people.
“It’s important that persons be vigilant and understand what they are dealing with in terms of the signs and symptoms of persons who may be impacted. We know that these new psychoactive substances can be linked to violent behaviour, so it’s important that we, the NCSA, gather as much information as possible.
“We have been seeing new psychoactive substances emerging throughout the region, throughout the hemisphere, almost daily. We know there is a huge outbreak as it relates to the fentanyl crisis in North America, and newsynthetic cannabis cannabinoids are entering the market. Our focus is on strengthening our early warning mechanisms to proactively respond to these drugs,” he said.
While new substances pose growing challenges, traditional drugs remain a significant concern. “It must be noted that all traditional substances remain the drugs of choice – especially alcohol, tobacco, crack cocaine, and marijuana. . .” (SB)
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