Digicel adds another dimension to Schools Football Tournament

Jun 23, 2013 Sports

By Rawle Welch
In keeping with its stated mission to not only concentrate on developing the skills of the participants on the field, but also to make them well rounded individuals who could then become valuable assets in our society, Digicel, organisers of the nationwide schools football tournament, added another dimension to its repertoire.
On Thursday last, at the Bartica Secondary School, the cellular giants retained two specialists from the ‘Social Life Issues’ Counseling Institution, husband and wife John and Faye Greaves who journeyed to the Essequibo island to educate the young players on the peril of using tobacco, alcohol and marijuana.
Speaking before a packed house that included Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford, Regional Education Officer Charles Holmes, Digicel Representative Devon Dooker and teachers, Mrs. Greaves, who opened the talk spoke about the harm alcohol, could create to the body.
Addressing specifically the ill effects players could feel by using alcohol, Mrs. Greaves revealed that it could impair the proper judgment of the brain causing players to lose focus and not think correctly.
She said it is a mind altering substance that is considered a drug by many health organisations across the world and is even regarded as one of the most dangerous drugs in the open market today.
Mrs. Greaves urged the young players to abstain from the use of alcohol which according to her could cause liver disease, blurred vision, impairs the memory and even leads to addiction.
She also highlighted the danger of a woman using alcohol during child birth, informing that it could result in the child being brain damaged, while a condition known as ‘Fetal Alcohol Syndrome’ could also develop causing lifelong damage to the child with no improvement even as an adult.
It was a stirring presentation that was well received by the general audience.
Mr. Greaves then touched on the topics tobacco and marijuana and he too highlighted the ill-effects of their use, pointing to several illnesses as being caused by them. He mentioned medical researchers have concluded that tobacco is a deadly weapon to the human body because of the many dangerous substances that could be found in it.
Greaves disclosed chemicals such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide could be found within tobacco which could cause cancer in the mouth, while lung cancer, high blood pressure due to the clotting of the blood are all dangerous to the human body.
On the subject of marijuana use, Greaves, while acknowledging that the drug is widely used, urged the young players to avoid its use since it could have destructive consequences to their lives.
According to him, some of the side effects of using marijuana are impotency, addiction, imprisonment, brain damage, cancer, destruction of the immune system, heart disease and mental problems, all negative effects to being beneficial to an individual’s family and the society at large.
Bradford in his comments said he was extremely proud to see so many young persons in attendance, especially for the purpose which they were there for.
He then extended special thanks to Digicel for hosting the tournament and called on the youths to not only see the on-field rivalry as the principal gain, but to also take the opportunity to interact and know each other, while taking seriously the advice being offered by the two experts.
Holmes in his presentation encouraged the players to do their best, adding that success is measured on how well a team is able to work together.
He welcomed the visitors, shortly after extending special thanks to Digicel for the work they’ve been doing within the respective communities.

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Digicel adds another dimension to Schools Football Tournament

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