Youth Care Foundation (YCF), The Gambia recently held a programme with the theme entitled “Youth against Drug Abuse”.  The programme is one of the development projects of the organisation  which aims to engage and prepare children and youth and school children. The rate of cigarette smoking and substance abuse among the youths calls for a spontaneous action.  A large number of youths between the ages of 14 and 25 and are subjected to tobacco influence in Banjul and Kanifing municipalities.

There is a direct definition and linkage between drugs and crimes and violence in schools as well as those between drugs and diseases.  And the rate of substance consumption is apparent in the high rate of crime rate of school drop-outs.

The civil disturbance on May 9th, 2007 in the densely youth-population area in Serrekunda  is an example to justify the potential menace of drug abuse like cannabis in relation to crime in the society.

The objectives of the program are; to raise awareness on the health implications and other ill-effects of tobacco, alcohol and drug-abuse, thereby promoting health standards among the youth population especially students’ and  to have drug-free and violence-free school sessions.

The director of the organization, Mr. Kolapo Abdul drove in his point by saying “We wish drug abuse resistance eduction could be included in the upper basic schools curriculam.  This is derivative of a science-based prevention model that is fundamental.  The project was influenced by  one of the friends and partners of the organization; Mr. Michael Kuhlman of the D.A.R.E. America.

Other contributors in the programme like Ramoutoulie Gaye ascertained that drug and substance abuse are categorized jointly with all sorts of smoking like marijuana, canabis and cigarettes.  Our children should be protected from smoking cigarettes.  It is a bad and very unhygiemc attitude for parents to smoke in the presence of their children.  I want to believe that no parent would want his child  to be a smoker.  She further called on parents and elders to be role models to the youths.

Some of the negative impacts of drug and substance abuse are violence truancy and poor academic performance added Mr. Olusola Babs.  He further advised the youths to be self-ascertained, have positive choices an health-related social skills affiliated to Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) an American Based Organisation.