Parade opens Drug Awareness Week

This morning youths from all over the country took to the streets for the commencement of Drug Awareness Week. Marlon McNab, Co-ordinator for the National Drug Abuse Control Council, says that it’s important to educate students from an early age because misuse of drugs and alcohol starts in primary school.

Marlon McNab, Programme Co-ordinator, NDACC

“Today we had a number of students from the primary schools including youth organizations, who decided to come out as a collective body to show their support for the drug prevention efforts that are being undertaken within our country. This marks the second event in drug awareness week. It’s a countrywide effort, the entire country had a parade today and the Belize district had its own and we have over twenty-five hundred students who came out. Basically the purpose for the students, as it relates to the students is so that they can realize that there are alternatives to drug use, that you can get a natural high just by playing music, we saw people playing the bands. You can get a natural high just by being with your friends or you can get a natural high by parading through the streets, having people say “Hello, hi.” wave at them back. We try to show them alternatives to drug use. And also you can have fun without the use of drugs. Because we believe if we start with the younger people today, where our statistics is showing us that the age of first use is age ten. Then within the next generation hopefully we would have reduced the demand for drugs by a significant number.”

Beginning at 9:00 Tuesday morning NDACC will be sponsoring a health fair at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall. The event will include presentations from organizations such as the Belize Family Life Association, the National Aids Commission and Ministry of Health.