ACDP calls on the DBE Minister to ensure campaign to rid schools of drugs & alcohol not just an empty show

MEDIA RELEASE                                      

Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip

1 June 2013

ACDP calls on the DBE Minister to ensure campaign to rid schools of drugs & alcohol not just an empty show

* calls on the Minister to ensure campaign involves action targeting problems

* calls on communities to support interventions aimed at helping learners and raising awareness of the devastating impact of alcohol and drug abuse on people’s lives, their families and society as a whole.

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 "The ACDP notes that a campaign to rid schools of drugs and alcohol being officially launched by the DBE in June to coincide with Youth Month and calls on the Minister to ensure that the campaign involves action targeting problems and that it is not just an empty show.

ACDP Spokesperson on Education and member of parliament, Cheryllyn Dudley said today that: “Alcohol and drugs are creating havoc in communities and homes and are stealing from young people who are losing important education opportunities. 

Abuse of these substances has been linked to academic difficulties, absenteeism, and drop-out from schooling.

“Drugs and alcohol are closely linked to high risk behaviour and impaired health, including unprotected sex, crime and violence, traffic accidents, mental and physical health problems.

The DBE National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use amongst Learners in Schools focuses largely on the prevention of alcohol and drug use and aims to create an enabling environment for learners who have become addicted to alcohol and drugs to access treatment, care and support services.  

“We note that learners in grades 8-10 will be prioritized because of their increased vulnerability to alcohol and drug abuse during the transition from primary to secondary school  which coincides with the onset of puberty, increased experimentation and peer pressure.

“The ACDP calls on the department to work together with communities and calls on communities to support interventions aimed at helping learners and raising awareness of the devastating impact of alcohol and drug abuse on people’s lives, their families and society as a whole. "

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For further information contact:

Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip

ACDP Parliament

082 890 65 20

Sms for urgent response