Drugs abuse giving students low marks

The use of homebrew and marijuana by youths and school-aged children is affecting their education resulting in fewer students entering colleges and universities.
This was revealed by the National Narcotics Bureau (NNB), a state agency responsible for fighting drug and alcohol abuse, during the launching of an awareness programme for schools in the National Capital District.
The bureau with the support from the Justice Services and Stability for Development (JSS4D) launched the NCD Schools Drug Education awareness programme yesterday.
The bureau is a state agency established under the Department of Justice and Attorney General to deal with drug and alcohol related issues in the country.
Speaking at the launching, assistant secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Benjamin Metio, said cases of drug smuggling in PNG were sold, consumed and accounts to more killing and raping.
“Police at Vanimo recently apprehend 21 drug smugglers at the borders of PNG and Indonesia,” Metio said. “Conviction of drug related cases are ongoing while the rest a serving time in prisons.”
Metio said the issue of homebrew and drug still needed to be cleared.
It was found that alcohol as well as cannabis were major problems in PNG.
National Narcotics Bureau deputy director-gereral Mathew Nelson said the agency was stopped back since 2010 to enforce its rules on drugs and homebrew as well as to carry out awareness.
“We began in 2016 with a work plan. Drug and alcohol must be given to wider audiences. Our meeting yesterday was about the new structure and 2018 work plan,” Nelson said.
“We get funding from the government but will not talk about it but thanks to the Australian Government through the Justice Services and Stability for Development (JSS4D) for the support.”
He said the National Capital District schools drug education awareness programme would be rolled out to all schools in NCD, Central and other provinces which JSS4D interacts with.