Hinkson addresses negative effects of drug use

Children who have parents who use drugs are at higher risk to abuse substances than those parents who do not use drugs.

Minister of Home Affairs, Edmund Hinkson highlighted this during his address at Garden Church of God recently. Hinkson who was speaking at the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA)’s Drug Awareness Month Church service discussed some of the challenges facing the youth today.

His comment made reference to a study that examined the causes of substance abuse among the youth. He took the moment to address families stating that these units are the “bedrock of our communities”.
“Each family develops its own set of values. If a family’s values are not taught, the children will still pick up values on their own. This is where the potential for gang association or other undesirable affiliations can begin. It is therefore important that family members talk about these issues before they become problematic,” said Hinkson.

Earlier, Hinkson also said that young people can suffer from the negative consequences of their parents’ substance abuse. He explained that this can occur during drug use during pregnancy, poor parenting by parents who misused drugs.

Hinkson noted that for children not to be victims of substance abuse, parents must be more responsible. He urged these adults to stay away from illegal substances so the children will not be tempted to follow in their footsteps. He also encouraged parents to give clear instructions and guidance on how to avoid becoming a statistic.

He added that the NCSA has been and will continue to be engaged in a number of programmes that target various cross-sections, persons and various issues.

“The Council has heightened its public education campaigns and I believed that this will be ongoing,” said Hinkson.