Guyana’s top drug enforcement agency, the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, is raising alarm over the increase in the demand for ecstasy in local schools.
The agency has been making moves to address the problem.
Speaking at the opening of the annual CANU training programme this morning, Deputy Director of CANU, Lesley Ramlall, explained that the drug appears to have become more common in the partying circles and in the schools.
He said “while most of our seizures would have indicated that cannabis and cocaine are the dominant narcotics seized, I urge us to take serious note of the synthetic drugs such as heroin, ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine all of which were seized by the unit this year. This is certainly a new trend and a very worrying one for Guyana. Moreso, we are conscious of the increasing demand for ecstasy among our youth population including children in school. This drug now seems to be the common narcotic that is readily available at many nightclubs and parties.”
Ecstasy, which is known as the “date rape drug”, is a psychoactive drug, which is primarily used as a recreational drug.
According to medical professionals, “the desired effects include altered sensations and increased energy, empathy, and pleasure.”
Mr. Ramlall told the CANU conference, that CANU has been collaborating with the Ministry of Education and the Narcotics Branch of the Guyana Police Force to tackle the drug use problem in the school system.
“Our collaborative approach with the Ministry of Education and our colleagues from the Narcotics Branch of the Guyana Police Force have seen us conducting investigations in schools where there were reports of the use of narcotics especially ecstasy, and at the same time, educating our school children on the dangers of this drug”, he explained.
Earlier this year, an Alberttown man was charged and remanded to prison for supplying the ecstasy drug to at least two schools in the Georgetown area.
News Source understands that ecstasy drug running rings were discovered in Queens College and North Georgetown.
A number of other schools are also under the radar.
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