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ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE – CONCERNS FOR US ALL
In Guyana as in other countries, youth culture has always been associated with a certain degree of irresponsibility, unruliness and free-spiritedness. From time immemorial, youths have rebelled against parents, experimented and pushed boundaries to discover new things and to engage in all that life has to offer.
Youths tend to take far more risks than adults. They are hot and bold, and live for the moment, as there is no tomorrow. And although some of the things they have done and continue to do are baffling to the adult world, yet they love what they do and indulge in it. One such thing is the use of illegal drugs, oftentimes for the fun of it.
In terms of drug usage, the evidence is powerful and overwhelming. In almost every community today, residents know of youths who aimlessly walk around in a generally unkempt state, oblivious to their surroundings, and repeatedly disturbing the public to feed their bad habits that have placed them on a slow but sure path to self-destruction.
Tragic stories evolve from a seemingly endless parade of youths constantly appearing before the courts to answer drug charges. In the majority of cases, they are caught with a small amount of marijuana. In other cases, it is cocaine, and these tormented souls quite often desperately pleaded for help from magistrates to be set free from the grips of an addiction that has ruined their lives.
In social settings, alcohol is often used by youths to get high, mask their shyness or to relax nervous behaviour in the hope of forging more successful connections and relationships. But, while the consumption of alcohol may appear to be a useful tool to get over anxieties, it can easily create other problems such as increased stress levels, increased heart rate and dehydration. Alcohol consumption can lower the levels of productivity, impair driving and have devastating consequences on families and communities.
In relation to traffic accidents, statistics have shown that more than half of all road accidents are caused by youths between the ages of 18 and 30, and most were driving under the influence of alcohol.
In the past it was much more difficult for youths to drink and drive, because there were fewer vehicles accessible and parents were much stricter in giving them permission to drive. Today, youths have much easier access to alcohol and their parents’ vehicles. As a result, they have developed habits, shaped by cultural norms, which are posing inherent dangers to themselves and the public.
In Guyana, where there is a relatively large youth population in terms of percentage, there has been a growing middle-class and a maturing youth sector, which in turn has led to a proliferation of clubs, bars, rum shops, restaurants, and increased sale of drugs. These businesses are profitable mainly because the liquor consumption by youths is very high and the young patrons are always eager to quench their thirst.
Taking all of the above into consideration, it would be in the best interest of parents and/or guardians to have frank and open discussions with their children about alcohol and illegal drug consumption, rather than blanking the issue or simply issuing edicts that would be rebelled against.
Many youths are confused, unconcerned, and are not easily swayed by society norms. This is why they should be cautioned against developing bad habits, which once established become unmanageable and may well take their lives, and in too many unfortunate instances, those of others. If anything, the problem seems to be getting worse with more and more youths going for mind-blowing drug cocktails to get high. It is a serious concern for us all.
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