Thousands of Children Impacted by In-School Prevention Programme of NCDA

The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) impacted 145,828 adults through public education prevention initiatives, and 4,000 children across 73 institutions as part of the in-school prevention programme in 2021.

This is contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2021 Economic and Social Survey.

The report also informed that a total of 935 clients accessed the primary treatment (drug counselling) programme, 69 per cent of whom were new clients.

Other activities included the ‘Tek It To Dem programme’, which targets those of the homeless population who may be substance abusers and offers HIV and drug prevention services.

“For the period under review, 924 persons were reached, and 884 persons were tested for HIV and syphilis,” the document stated.

The report also mentioned the Drug Treatment Court Programme, which is a diversion programme aimed at rehabilitating persons who have committed minor offences because of their drug use.

“There are currently five adult courts across the island where counselling is offered. A total of 66 clients were seen in 1,179 sessions, and 664 drug tests were conducted,” the document said.

Regarding the Child Diversion Programme, the NCDA offers drug counselling to children referred through the Ministry of Justice.

The programme offers services that enhance the life skills of children who have come in conflict with the law and diverts them away from the criminal justice system through rehabilitative interventions.

To this end, a total of 92 children were referred for treatment, and 77 per cent was reached. The NCDA conducted 1,044 sessions with 109 clients (71 new and 38 repeat) and administered 194 drug tests over the period.

Meanwhile, a study that was conducted on the impact of the pandemic on secondary-school students revealed that substance abuse increased in 2021.

“Based on findings presented in the study, the NCDA recommended increasing adolescent mental health screening and services, providing opportunities for small-group engagement for self-expression, providing more support for virtual engagement, and increasing parental participation and supervision to assist students,” the report said.