Rise in marijuana abuse alarming

NEWS of police finding marijuana on four Grade 9 students in Port Moresby should be raising eyebrows.
Our young population are vulnerable to this disastrous problem, and it should be treated as an issue of concern for the government and all stakeholders in the country.
Police say since the suspects were juveniles, their particulars have been taken and profiles created.
They are now with their parents/guardians.
Drug abuse is a combative issue that poses many challenges for our society.
The consumption of illegal drugs such as marijuana and homebrew is increasing at an alarming rate and has become a development issue for the nation.
Marijuana is one of the most abused drugs in Papua New Guinea.
There is no secret that this drug has been around in communities and the increase in cases should now be a concern.
The rise in the number of users is something the National Narcotics Bureau should tackle with all concerned parties.
Marijuana abusers are becoming major liabilities to the nation, their families and communities.
The abusers which are mainly young people are disturbing the peace and solemnity of the many communities when they consume the drug.
It is known that drug and alcohol abuse is rife among school children and other teens in cities such as Port Moresby and Lae.
Concerned stakeholders overtime have warned that many teens are putting their lives in danger and their health at risk by smoking drugs, drinking and behaving in a disorderly manner.
The frightening reality in today’s society is the fact that some parents have turned a blind eye to social developments which are having a big impact on our children’s behaviour and attitude.
Parents may view ‘peer pressure’ as trivial but that is consistently found especially in schools, the young population especially our youth population.
Peer pressure is where kids try to do what other kids are doing and by curiosity they try to be in groups and they start sharing these things, drugs and eventually they become addicted and it’s very hard for them to quit the practice.
The marijuana abusers are at great risk of damaging their brain cells since the dangerous drug destructs human brain cells.
A collective effort is required to address this issue.
While the number of people who use marijuana at any one time does not seem to have recently increased, the number of people who have a marijuana-related disorder has risen significantly.
And for alcohol, our children should know that the liver processes alcohol and it can only cope with so much at a time.
Every drink one consumes, adds up, and over time it can have a bigger impact on our health and wellbeing than we realise.
Students caught with illegal drugs and consuming homebrew or alcohol in public should feel the full force of the law.
Our enforcement of the laws relating to marijuana and alcohol should be enhanced to make a change.
That is a concern and should be addressed before it takes a rippling effect on the society.
Police is appealing to parents and guardians to know where and what your children are up to.
This is a developing issue and requires parents, teachers, police and the community to work in partnership to address it.
It is a time bomb waiting to explode.