NCSA hosts lunchtime lecture

One local organisation is aiming to help Barbadians manage their stress effectively without a reliance on alcohol and drug use.

Drug Education Officer at National Council for Substance Abuse (NCSA), Wendy Greenidge spoke to The Barbados Advocate after the free lunchtime lecture held at their Belleville location. The Drug Awareness Month Committee member explained that the event held on Wednesday was a follow-on to the one held last year which focused on the abuse of prescription drugs. She said that the public lecture was a great opportunity to interact with the public in an informal way and gather information that suited them directly. The Drug Education officer added that throughout the year, her organisation will be taking an active role by doing workplace presentations.

“Over the years, we have done some, but we recognised that we need to work more closely with the Barbados Employers’ Confederation, and we also want to look at the other side as well – where we look at the support services. We will be looking to partner with the social work association so we can get a more balanced approach,” said Greenidge.

According to Greenidge, in the past the NCSA has done a lot of work with Barbados Drug Treatment Court and they have recognised that persons need help with seeking employment. Also she said that employers need to be counselled about signs of drug use and addiction and how they play a role in employee’s recovery.

This lunchtime lecture focused on “Managing Stress in the Workplace” and featured Occupational Therapist, Lennox Rochester. In his comprehensive presentation, Rochester defined stress, factors that cause stress, sources of stress at work and how to cope with stress. It was an informative and interactive session and at the end members were given a brief session in meditation.

In addition to the lecture, the audience was given free health checks and tested and sampled various supplements for health. Later this month, Greenidge said they will be continuing their activities with a lecture on seniors and substance abuse. This will be held on January 23 at the Chelsea Road Church of God.