The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Ministry of Health and Human Services has called attention to the increasing number of Turks Islanders with alcohol and substance use disorders.
The Department reported that in the last two years, the number of individuals presenting with alcohol and substance use disorders have climbed with statics showing that over 50 percent of the people seen between January 2011 and January 2013 met the criteria for an alcohol or substance use disorder.
Dr Alicia Malcolm noted that problems such as these can have a rippling effect on society at large, impacting both crime rates and death rates, especially in small island nations such as the TCI. This is particularly important she pointed out because increased incidences of crime in many Caribbean countries are being linked to substance abuse.
“Despite their efforts, in our region are seeing an increase in crime, particularly violent crime, which is attributed in part to the use and abuse of alcohol or other drugs,” Malcolm said.
She noted: “In 2007 the World Health Organization reported that In terms of overall death rates, death by drugs or alcohol is estimated at approximately 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year, and about half of these deaths are the result of injury”.
Alcohol and Illicit drug use can lead to chronic alcohol consumption which negatively affects almost every system in the body and can lead to cancer, liver disease, heart attacks and brain damage among others. Additionally, alcohol use has been found to serve as a gate way to the use of other illicit drugs.Malcolm pointed out that one US study showed that 69.9 percent of heavy alcohol users among those aged 12 to 17 were illicit drug users. This was over 13 times higher than non-alcohol users where 5.2 percent used illegal substances.
A TCI secondary school drug use survey indicated that about 26 percent of individuals between the ages of 14-18 have reportedly used marijuana during their lifetime and 2.4 percent have used cocaine during their lifetime.
On June 26 this year, the department marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to highlight the harmful effects of alcohol and illicit drug use and to build awareness among residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands, particularly among students. Earlier that week, the department also launched Alcoholics Anonymous in Grand Turk.
The department called on all residents of the TCI who would like to know more, or who know of someone who needs information about alcohol or drug abuse, to contact the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department, Ministry of Health and Human Services at: 649-946-2801 Ext 50504 Grand Turk or Providenciales 82500.
