CRAIG COMMENTS

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Education is the key to our drug problem
8 August 2001

On Friday evening, I was among the 200 people who gathered at the Bairnsdale Aquatic and Recreation Centre to hear a presentation by renowned Melbourne youth and social worker, Les Twentyman.

Les' work with young people spans over 20 years and he has the experience of seeing the effects of drugs on our youth first hand.

Les made the comment that when he started social work, around five per cent of cases involved youth on hard drugs. These days it has risen to 99 per cent.

Drug trafficking is a money-making business.

Like all businesses, supply is on a demand basis and it is demonstrated that this demand is here.

It is a frightening thought for many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that young people close to them will end up addicted to hard drugs.

While there is strong evidence that young people from a close family unit are less likely to become dependent on drugs, there is also evidence that even this is not enough.

The frightening reality is that our young will be offered hard drugs during their teenage years and we will not be there to stop them - the choice will be theirs. This is one of the reasons I believe that education of our young people is the key to the drug problem.

Unemployment is named as among the contributing factors, but as Les stated at the meeting he would rather see young people "bludging" on the beach in Byron Bay on the dole, rather than snatching handbags to support their habit and later dying of an overdose.

Unemployment should not be seen as a death sentence and we should have more jobs and training available for our school leavers.

Society today puts more pressure on us, especially young people.

When I left school, I could have had a job anywhere with little or no qualifications. I am sure many others found themselves in this situation.

These days, most jobs require at least Year 12 and it is a struggle for many teenagers to get this far.

Education on the effects of drugs must start early and should take place in the school system, but we too must change and be more flexible to the needs of our young.

The problem belongs to all of us and we can all play a part in solving it.

Let us all address the reasons why some young people believe that there is such little future for them that they are willing to throw it all away.

page last edited: 07-Sep-2001