NDACC quiz semi-finals in Belize City

Today the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall was packed to capacity with primary school students who came out to support their classmates in the district finals of the National Drug Education Quiz. The contest, sponsored by the National Drug Abuse Control Council, is based on the theme, “Reinforcing Accurate Drug Information and Enhancing Positive Life Skills”. Marlon McNab is NDACC’s Belize District Coordinator.

Marlon McNab, Belize District Coordinator, NDACC

“They are quizzed on drug information. We have been focusing a lot on the life skills because we felt that one of the reasons that students or youths on a whole are having problems with drugs and becoming more and more vulnerable to this situation is because they are not able to cope with a lot of stresses that they encounter in life. If we can somehow give them the skills that they need to cope with these problems that they face everyday — whether it be peer pressure or abuse at home or low grades at school — it can adversely affect them and help them to respond in a more positive way than turn to drugs which is only a temporary relief.”

At the end of the day, Rajiv Singh of Holy Redeemer School walked off with first place, Michael Pitts from Queen’s Square came in second and Gaafar Rodriquez of Ladyville Evangelical was third. The students competed for prizes such as story books and school supplies. The national finals are June fourth at the City Center.