Are schools losing the war on drug abuse?

Despite the stringent measures in place to curb substance abuse, many teenagers continue to engage in the vice. Some students are reported to go as far as hiding drugs in toilets, bathrooms, behind classrooms, while others jump over school fences in search of drugs. And like the saying goes - the disease that will kill a man begins as an appetite. Similarly, drug abuse usually starts as a small habit before graduating into an addiction. Mathias Rukundo was in primary seven when he tried smoking cigarettes left behind on ashtrays at drinking joints. But by senior three, he was addicted to smoking and would do anything to smuggle cigarettes into school. “I would hide the cigarettes in my socks which made it quite hard to notice. Sometimes I would ask someone on the other side of the fence to throw them over,” says Rukundo. Like Rukundo, 20-year-old Gerald, a university student, admits sneaking alcohol into school on several occasions without knowledge of the security personnel. A recent survey by The Education Times revealed that the rigorous rules from both schools and parents are not enough to keep students away from drugs and alcohol. The list of substance abused by students is also growing to accommodate teenagers in bars puffing off scented water-pipes known as shisha. Who is to blame? While the fight against drugs is societys collective responsibility, some argue that cheap alcohol and narcotics flooding the market promote the vice in schools. “It is here that dealers serve their customers - the students. Obviously this business is profitable,” says Annet Nshimwe, a parent from Kicukiro. Unlike Nshimwe, other people think it is the school authorities to blame for loopholes in the security. “The only way students sneak in items is through the gates and fences, but that comes with the security systems or people conniving with the students,” says Theophile Ndekwe, a parent in Remera. The bad groups Whereas most parents want to point a finger at the schools, some teachers say drug addiction in schools arises from peer pressure. Diana Nawatti, the head teacher of Mother Mary Complex School in Kibagabaga, explains that students who can’t buy drugs on their own find it easy to do so in groups. “They feel stronger as a group and even force others to associate with them. That is how other innocent students get involved in the whole drug chain. Even those with limited finances can pool resources together,” says Nawatti. Reverend Jacky Iribagiza, a counsellor at Remera Martyrs High School, echoes similar views, explaining that some students abuse drugs just to impress their peers. Iribigiza, for example, cites a case at her school where a boy in senior three who was a marijuana addict managed to convince several others to join him. “This boy was from a wealthy family and he influenced all his friends into taking the vice. Those around him fell for the trap because of the small money he used to dish out,” she explains. The counsellor further points out that the practice of abusing drugs is more common among older students and those in advanced classes. “Because they have been in school for long and are aware of every system, students in higher classes or old students engage in drug abuse more compared to those in lower classes or those who are new in the school,” she adds. However, Nawatti believes that young people are also lured into drug addiction by digital content from the Internet and television. “With movie scenes of people engaging in such habits, students get attracted to behave like the characters. If an actor plays a drug addict, chances are high that a young person could pick up these habits since they adore that actor,” she adds. Strong punishments for offenders Despite the laxity in some schools, Police spokesperson ACP Celestine Twahirwa says they remain vigilant in fighting drug abuse. “The activities we undertake include apprehending such individuals involved in drug trafficking, holding focused group discussions and other awareness campaigns. These are all in place to ensure that students behave accordingly,” says Twahirwa. He says although Police have interventions in place, some students fail to comply much as serious penalties are in place to deal with culprits. “Depending on the age, any student caught with drugs has to serve some sort of punishment,” he adds. Education ministry speaks out Within the Ministry of Education, enforcement of discipline is left to the discretion of the schools and district administrators. Dr Celestin Ntivuguruzwa, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education, explains that local governments are charged with a duty of establishing bodies to enforce discipline. “The arrangement is decentralised for schools to work with their respective local governments. Most times, parents and teachers associations are created to serve as channels for handling most forms of indiscipline that include drug abuse. However, the ministry maintains the duty of carrying out assessments through monitoring and evaluation,” says Dr Ntivuguruzwa. Other schools have devised channels to address drug abuse through student leaders. Theoneste Ngirowunsaga, a teacher at College APPEC Rukoma in Kamonyi, explains that schools use clubs to fight substance abuse. “As a must, students are taught about how to remain safe at school. The Police visit our school once in a while for the same purpose and through these clubs teachers have a duty to discourage use of drugs,” explains Ngirowunsaga. He adds that through such clubs debates are conducted periodically to enable students from different schools exchange ideas on how to overcome the vice. “Recently, about nine schools competed in a debate on drugs and the first four were awarded. This is our way of addressing drugs and alcohol within schools,” he adds. Drug abuse claims at least 200,000 lives every year, according to the UN, but it is believed that if these vices are wiped from schools, these figures could considerably go down. According to 2014 statistics from Kigali Health Institute, more than half the youth in the country (14-35) have consumed one or more kinds of drugs. Police say abuse of drugs and illicit alcohol are considered to be the root causes of most violent crimes, especially gender-based violence. Cannabis, marijuana, and a local brew, commonly known as Kanyanga, are among the mostly consumed illegal substances. editorial@newtimes.co.rw ********************************************** School-based approaches to fight drug and alcohol abuse School-based drug and alcohol prevention programmes occur during the school day, or on school campuses. Because drug and alcohol use is highly influenced by the attitudes and perceived norms of peers, school-based approaches that are open to every student in the school are needed, in addition to approaches that target drug-using teens. School-based programs may include school-day, extended-day, or afterschool programmes, may be delivered by school personnel or by community-based facilitators, and may be mandatory (like a health education class) or voluntary (like an elective or a drop in afterschool programme). Effective approaches to school-based drug and alcohol prevention include teaching students how to resist peer influences, improving generic life skills, involving families, and providing opportunities to become involved in positive experiences with others in the school and community. In contrast, ineffective approaches include those that group substance users together and approaches that focus only on information dissemination or teaching about the dangers of substance use. Effective programmes for elementary school students address issues such as self-control, emotional awareness, communication skills, and social problem-solving skills; and effective programs for older students seek to build communication skills; self-efficacy and assertiveness, and drug resistance skills. Substance use prevention programmes should be long-term and include booster sessions to prevent program impacts from decaying over time. Programmes should also be implemented for an adequate number of hours. When substance use is rampant within the community, school-based drug prevention programmes can be implemented in conjunction with community-based strategies that reduce risk factors such as the availability of drugs and alcohol and promote norms that discourage underage drinking and drug use. Agencies ******************************************* Your say on drug addiction in schools African Niyonkuru,a student at GS Rugando African Niyonkuru I think it’s because of a wrong perception that when one uses marijuana it helps them to be ‘sharp’ in class. Peer pressure results in the good students adopting bad behaviour as they try to imitate their ‘cool’ colleagues and with time become addicts. Aline Gihoza, a university student Aline Gihoza Most high school students abuse drugs while attempting to stay awake doing revision, especially during exam time. What they don’t know is that when they make it a habit, it will turn into addiction which will definitely ruin their future. Patricia Mbabazi, a parent Patricia Mbabazi I believe it’s because we are in a digital age. Most youth tend to imitate everything they find on the Internet. Some schools also don’t do enough when it comes to strictness to the school rules. This contributes to the vice among students. Diogene Kalisa, an IT specialist Diogene Kalisa For students coming from the wealthy families, it’s because of the western lifestyle they are exposed to. Lack of guidance and counselling from teachers and parents is the other reason some students indulge in drug abuse. Cecile Mukashema, student at St Patrick Kicukiro Cecile Mukashema I think it’s because of the urge to try out new things, especially among students. On the other hand, some students may start abusing drugs due to stress or problems they may be facing at home such as abusive parents. Compiled by Lydia Atieno