Deputy manager of the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) Troy Wickham said he wanted to see more people approach the council without fear or guilt and liaise with staff, find out about their services, which were all free, and see the help that was being offered.
He was speaking recently during an open day held at its headquarters in Belleville, under the theme, NCSA Strengthening Prevention, in celebration of Drug Awareness Month.
He added that they were committed to informing people about matters surrounding substance abuse and allowing them to make the choice for themselves.
“We are not the drug police or the person that tells people don’t do drugs, don’t use substances. We’re here to offer assistance, where needed. We’re not in the business of taking away a person’s choices. We remain committed to giving persons the facts about all matters surrounding substance abuse and letting them make the choice,” he said.
The organisation, which is celebrating 30 years, had a day of stimulating drug education activities and interactive sessions with various stakeholders such as the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), Heart and Stroke Foundation, Juvenile Laison Scheme, the Substance Abuse Foundation and the HIV commission.
One activity was a simulation exercise called Mats. Participants wore googles that simulated people using substances such as marijuana, alcohol, Ecstasy and methamphetamine. Before wearing the goggles, they were instructed to do a particular task and then perform those same tasks with the goggles and recognise the difference in both situations which gave them an understanding of how people under the influence would operate.
Wickham encouraged a recovery-friendly workforce where a person may be impacted negatively from using substances.
“Several persons in the workplace, especially, have been impacted in some way or the other by substance use, either directly or indirectly. They’re afraid to come forward to tell their supervisors or employers they had a problem with drugs for fear of losing their job. We don’t encourage that. We encourage what we call a recovery-friendly workforce where a person may be impacted, negatively impacted by using substances.”
Those individuals, he said, would then be put in a workplace programme in which they will be exposed to counselling and life skills, so they could be reintegrated into the workforce. (AJ)
