Marijuana use in schools is worrying – Naisele

Marijuana use in secondary schools is worrying and we have also received several cases of Year 8 students smoking marijuana as well.

National Substance Abuse Advisory Council, Acting CEO Josua Naisele highlighted this to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts while replying to Assistant Minister for Transport, Naisa Tuinaceva, who was asking about the Council coping with glue sniffing and drug usage in schools.

Naisele says they have not received any reports for cocaine, but while counselling students about marijuana, students reveal that they have also tried methamphetamine.

He says last year they recorded 5 cases, adding the good thing is they have not become addicted yet, so when they reveal this they try to help them as much as they can in guiding them.

Naisele says from the data they have collected from schools, they have noticed a drop in drug usage in schools.

He says they can contribute that to the awareness that they are doing.

The Acting CEO says because they are only focusing on schools, they are not really aware of what is happening outside of the school which is a major challenge.