Benjamin: Children making early, deep dive into drug use

DIRECTOR of Social Protection in the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Hanif Benjamin has pointed to a troubling trend in the area of drug and substance abuse on the island.

Benjamin was at the time addressing early childhood educators who gathered on May 21 for the launch of the division’s drug prevention education training session at the division’s conference room in Scarborough.

The training spearheaded by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programme (ADAPP) took place on May 21 and 22 and was geared towards curbing substance abuse among Tobago’s youth.

ADAPP, a unit of the division, holds the specific mandate of delivering drug-demand-reduction services in Tobago.

The training is designed to equip teachers and administrators from preschools across the island with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively implement drug prevention education with a particular focus on the Trinity SMART programme.

Developed by the National Alcohol Drug and Prevention Programme (NADAPP) under the Ministry of Health, SMART aims to educate young learners about the dangers of substance use through engaging age-appropriate content.

Benjamin said while the training marked a significant first for Tobago, it also highlighted a troubling trend.

“We are dealing with so many first – first training here of this kind, but we’re also dealing with a negative first – our children are diving deeper and deeper in the world of drugs at an earlier and earlier stage.”

Children under the age of ten, he said, are consuming edible marijuana. He emphasised the importance of insight before actions, noting that effective intervention began with understanding.

Benjamin said the training was focused on equipping the participants with the knowledge needed to respond meaningfully to the growing issue of drug abuse.

“We have to become very practical in our approach, but in order to help, one must understand. Today and tomorrow, it is about understanding.”

He said the world was one in which there were a lot of new drugs.

“Drugs that I don’t even know the name of. Drugs that you may not even know the name of.”