Ministry hosts workshop to combat drug abuse among teens

Aug 27, 2019 News

With the aim of combating the use of illicit and psychotropic drugs among teens in Guyana and to an extent the Caribbean region, the Drug Prevention/ Drug Demand Reduction Services under the Ministry of Public Health yesterday commenced the first of a five-day workshop.

Mr. Ren Gonzales (standing) and the participants of yesterday’s workshop

Yesterday’s workshop was focused on ‘Module 1 Adolescent Development and Substances Use’, and training was conducted with over 20 social workers and facilitators from across Georgetown.
Presenting at the first day of the workshop was Psychology and Human Resources Management Consultant, Mr. Ren Gonzales, a consultant who hails from the islands of the Philippines.
During his presentation, he added that “This training is being provided for persons who are working with adolescents to understand the dynamics of substance abuse, especially among the young people. And what are the issues that are confronting those young people that can make them at risk of becoming drug users and addicts within the context of Guyana, with also a focus on the regional context.”
The consultant was keen to note that the training is designed in such a way that the trainers, the facilitators and the social workers will gain the basic requisite skills of comprehending the psychology of adolescent development, what their issues are, why they consume drugs, how screening can be conducted, and what sort of therapy and treatment is available for them.
Gonzales concluded by explaining that, “A focus was given on family therapy as well, because we believe that the family plays a central role in the prevention of the use of drug abuse, and at the same time they will get support from groups once they have recovered.”
The workshop, which is in its third year, will continue to be hosted at the Guyana Red Cross Association in Kingston. Other issues that will be examined will include screening and assessing adolescent, adolescent drug treatment, family interventions and basic counseling skills and procedures for drug users, respectively.