NCDA warns children also vulnerable to stress, trauma and anxiety

Western Bureau:        

The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), is calling on communities to abandon outdated beliefs and embrace efforts to protect children’s mental health and well-being as they too experience the stress, trauma and anxiety associated with adults.

Speaking with The Gleaner following a recent event at Sir Clifford Campbell Primary School in Savanna-la-mar, Westmoreland, Nicola McIntyre, the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) Substance Misuse Prevention Officer for Westmoreland, emphasised the importance of early intervention and strong support systems for young people.

"Gone are the days when we used to adjust to the saying or the old adage that says children cannot undergo stress," she told The Gleaner, noting that adults should be alert to sudden changes in a child's behaviour, personality and social interactions.

"We have to actively listen to what children are saying or the youth are saying," she said. "We have to pay attention if there are certain changes in their mood, their behaviour, their circle of friends, their performance in school."

She noted that some children continue to grapple with trauma following Hurricane Melissa and stressed that emotional struggles can manifest in various ways, including withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed.

"If they become recluse and they don't want to speak, those are telltale signs that something is going on," she said.

McIntyre also used the occasion to educate students about substance misuse, particularly the growing popularity of vaping among young people.

She warned that vaping products contain a range of harmful chemicals and can lead to addiction through nicotine exposure.

"Many people are of the mind that vaping is safer than cigarettes, but anything in smoking form is dangerous for you," she said.

According to McIntyre, referrals involving substance use among students are becoming increasingly common, particularly at the secondary-school level, with ganja and vaping products among the substances most frequently encountered.

Despite the challenges, she encouraged children to believe in themselves and embrace positive self-talk.

"I am strong. I am positive. I make good decisions," she said, in sharing examples of affirmations she encouraged students to repeat.

McIntyre said empowering children and ensuring they feel valued is critical to their development.

"They are the future ambassadors. They're the future innovators. They are the future leaders," she said. 

"Their voice counts as well.

"We have to continue to empower the children and to let them feel special and to let them know that they matter, that they are important and that they should always have the right to be loved and valued.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com