The use of alcohol by some Dominican students is said to be a growing concern of the Ministry of Health.
According to a survey, alcohol is the most used drug by secondary school students on the island but National Drug Prevention Coordinator Jacinta Bannis said there is a serious overall drug problem in Dominica.
According to Bannis, Dominica must develop strategies to minimize the use of illegal drugs in the country.
“We need to develop strategies to see how we can reduce the high incidents of alcohol. Some of them start very early. Some start at 12 years and we have to do something to reduce the demand for the substance. You can walk into any community and purchase alcohol…my concern is for the students between the ages of 12 and 18,” she said.
Dominica is observing Drug Awareness Month, this month.
Finally the “Powers that be” are including Alcohol and Tobacco as DRUGS.
It’s a Good Start.We need to continue the awareness.
Suggestion: Have drug awareness programs in the schools targetting ages 9 – 12 year old, keep educational programs teaching the children how to abstain from these substances and how to keep away from these drugs. Teach them the effects of drugs. When they are taught at an early age that will help to reduce some of the social problems.
There is an answer….drug and alcohol awareness, rehabilitation centers, and Alcoholics/Narcotics anonymous. If allowed to continue unchecked, the crime rate in Dominica will continue to escalate as it has in all our neighboring islands!
They may also get the liquor at home. They probably drink it when their parents are out. Depending on their age, they should be at home and not at fetes especially if it is late at nights.
Does Dominica not have a law against selling liquor to underage children/teenagers? If store owners sell liquor to them, then, they should be arrested and charged. Their liquor license should also be revoked if at least they are caught more than once.
It appears that children of this era do not act as children. My parents never drank. There was liquor in the home if some people visited especially during certain holiday celebrations. Rest assured that visitors would take only one drink. However, some of them did not drink.
I never had a drink as a child or even when I grew up to adulthood. I lived in Dominica and never drank even though I would go to parties/dances when I became an adult.
I recall this very well that in my early adulthood Mighty Sparrow visited Dominica and a group of us including some members of my family went to the show. We all sat at one table. One of the men offered to purchase liquor for us. I had one taste – of it – a small one and placed the container with the liquor under the table where it remained. I thought, “this tastes awful”
I attended teenage dances with my friends but liquor was never sold at those dances. We would drink soft drinks.
I also recall that I had planned my birthday party. I gave someone some money to purchase a few bottles of liquor for me in advance. Those bottles were there for a while and no one in my household including myself touched them. It was as if they were not there. The evening of the party they were served to the invitees. I did not have one drink.
Young people you should not drink liquor or smoke cigarettes or illegal drugs. They are not good for you. You are only young once. You must concentrate on learning and not on drinking liquor and too much partying. Otherwise it could become a habit/practice and will endanger your health and mentality. Once a habit is formed it is difficult to break. Please take note.
I wonder what the parents saying about this one. So many parents drink in the presence of their children, or come home drunk. They don’t know any better. Some are to busy doing God knows what to pay attention to their children when they start getting influenced by their peers.
PARENTS…..beware! Take interest in your children. Look for the sudden changes in the children. Be responsible. Have daily talks with them and ALWAYS be aware of who their friends are.
That is common sense education. When I was 18 years old, even if I was an active member of our village “youth group”, working as elementary school teacher; if my mom could not go with me to our youth group’s night function, like a dance, I could not go; or she made sure that I was accompanied by an adult friend of hers.
There was a time all I did at a dance, where and adult friend of my mom–a man– chaperoned me, was to sit and talk with a guy whom I liked a lot, who liked me also. Because that man asked me to dance, and I said no, prefering to sit with my boyfriend and talk, he made it sound as if I had done such bad thing they way he reported it to my mom.
Today it is almost impossible for a parent to control a 12 year old boy or girl, as they indulge in all sorts of late night parties with beer and wine as their basic drinks. Most teenage girls who get pregnant at age 18, were already in full swing through alcohol intake. Children are addicted to alcohol in their mother’s womb.
For starters we should push ID cards to all students. To buy alcohol you should have to show you ID card. I have bought alcohol and not got a second glass. I have even been pushed into buying alcohol by the bartenders.
less talk more pressure on the people responsible
This one is HUGE…. and all you can disagree with me if all you want on this one…but I will say this:
Rum must be good for you and your children because although more rum and beer is consumed in DA than water, most Dominican Children still turn out good. (Not sure about that.. I had one or two).
Christmas Eve – RUM
Christmas – RUM
Boxing Day – RUM
New Year – RUM
Carnival – RUM
Easter – RUM
All Fools Day – RUM
Friday – RUM
Saturday – RUM
Sunday Morning – RUM
Independence Day – RUM
Independence Eve – RUM
Christmas Eve – RUM
Birthday – RUM
Brother Birthday – RUM
Lunch Time – RUM
Almost every damn day in DA, is RUM..almost every person in DA taking their RUM at some time or another..and all you want the children to just stand there and watch and be ALCOHOL FREE? A friend of mine said that there are no alcoholics in Dominica..In that case, there is no problem. But is there? I think there alcohol is a big problem in DA.
Suggestions to reduce alcohol consumption by kids and ADULTS
Keep alcohol out of the home
Reduce your own alcohol consumption
If you do drink, do so responsibly
Reduce alcohol advertisements
Have discussions about substance abuse to include alcohol at school and at home. Let it be about healthy living
Do not ask you child to go and buy you alcohol or cigarettes.
Do not ask your child to serve you alcohol
Live a healthy and productive life. Don’t abuse anything.
End
Wait…one more…REDUCE / BAN THE USE OF THE WORDS RUM AND LIQUOR IN CALYPSOS…
By and Large, alcohol use in Dominica is still an unchallenged delima. We/the adults will have to make that change, and the youth will follow. Dominica is still one of few contires where Uniformed Government employees, including the police can drink on duty or (while in Uniform) and think it’s cool. Our Youth will not learn if we/do not lead by example.
More Regulation on these issues usually leads to more abuse, This needs a revolutionary approach. Just take a look at the history of prohibition and the current drug war in mexico and America.
Go in any fete in Dominica and watch dem chiren drinking dere kubuli and red cap and step up and tell me if is a good thing…go …..I waiting….
My sentiments exactly!!
They must have the campaign during carnival when all eyes turn the other way!!
wow finally a problem,the bartenders and shop keepers that sell alcohol to the kids needs to be dealt with,but guess what everyone wants to make a money.thats the slang,so the kids will pay for it very sad.
so true all they are interested in is making that money no thought of the young lives they destroy