Fight against drugs needs cooperation

CONCERNS raised by Jiwaka police commander Horim Pimia on increase in the use of illegal drugs by high school students indicates a breakdown in law-and-order that needs to be addressed.
The use of these drugs has increased over the years, making it difficult for police to control.
Community leaders, with parents, have the responsibility of working with police and relevant authorities in curbing the use of illegal drugs rather than relying only on police.
Parents should sit back and seriously ask themselves whether they are doing enough to guide and protect their children, especially high school students, who fall into the statistics of consumers of the drugs.
Community leaders are equally accountable for not doing the right thing to report and deal with such behaviour when it first pops up.
Mind you, this social concern is not only confined to Jiwaka but the whole country.
Last week, more than 30 suspects were arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drugs at Hanuabada village in Port Moresby.
Drugs and steam (homebrew) are the major cause of fighting, deaths, injuries and destruction in settlements.
Lives of young children and schoolchildren are being affected by these illegal substances.
The production of illegal drugs and alcohol is done at a very high level in just about all societies in the country.
Most times, it is happening right under the nose of the leaders, parents and citizens of communities.
In some areas, police are doing their best but with not enough manpower and limited resources and mobility, they cannot be everywhere to attend to these social issues.
Drugs are a danger to our society.
There is a need for all those concerned to step up in our fight against such activities.
These are incidents that are becoming almost like an everything thing, more like becoming a norm to see teenagers and young adults openly consuming alcohol in full public view.
Everywhere, there is talk about breakdown in law-and-order, increase in alcohol and drug abuse, increase in domestic violence, police brutality, sorcery-related deaths and generally a breakdown in services.
All fingers point to the Government of the day, blaming it for diverting its focus elsewhere, and not on matters which we claim are supposed to be addressed.
Realistically, given the current situation the country is in, the Government can only do what it can do and the rest of it now falls back more specifically on families.
What happens in a family unit should be setting the foundation of how children will move and interact in the community.
Changes may not happen overnight, but can be achieved if all effort is put into dealing with the issue.
It is time the magisterial service, police and all stakeholders work together to address law-and-order issues, including the rise and proliferation of drugs in the country.
Police must be strict in upholding the law and take to court those who violate or breach it.
Harsh as it may sound, the solution to this is to take students caught to court.
Let the law deal with rogue behaviour appropriately.
Parents should be required to accompany their children to court to witness for themselves the seriousness of what they have done.
That is a concern and must be addressed before it takes a rippling effect on the society.