– 6-year-olds Taking Alcohol -Parents To Blame By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK The abuse of substances such a drugs and alcohol is escalating with children starting to drink at a tender age of six years. RenÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚© Adams, Control Social Worker in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, yesterday expressed concern over the behaviour of young people concerning drinking and taking drugs. She said, while street kids are known to sniff glue, many others including six-year-olds were already taking alcohol. “It is a very serious situation,” she said on the sidelines of the After Care conference in Substance Abuse, which started on the outskirts of Windhoek yesterday. Adams said seeing an 11-year-old smoking and drinking has become a norm these days, adding that this is common especially with primary school children who are said to be experimenting with substances. She blamed some parents for being too lenient with their children and also for failing to act as good role models as they drink and smoke with their children. “Parents should become involved and treat their children the way they were taught,” she added. Opening the conference yesterday, Director of Developmental Social Welfare Services, Batseba Katjiuongua, said the scourge of substance abuse continues to ravage communities, families and the youth especially because it goes hand in hand with poverty, unemployment, dysfunctional family life and escalation of chronic diseases. A study done in 2002 to determine the extent of alcohol and drug use in Namibia found that over 55 percent of adult Namibians consumed alcohol. And most of those that drink, abuse alcohol. The study indicated that many drinkers consumed a significant amount of alcohol over the weekend preceding the survey. Thirty-nine percent of all adult Namibians smoked at some point in their lives, while over two percent smoked dagga and 0.4 percent used mandrax. Windhoek, said the report, has the highest number of drinkers, being 69 percent, while the northern regions have the lowest percentage of 26. A John Hopkins University study carried out in 2005 in nine towns also found that alcohol is the number one problem in many areas. “Namibians are drinking too much and on too many times,” said Adams. The aftercare conference aims to equip all those involved in substance abuse aftercare with skills, knowledge, attitudes and training capabilities to effectively impart information to others. “In this way, communities can become responsive and grow stronger to ensure effective collective action to reduce the vulnerability of people towards alcohol and drug use and its consequences,” said Katjiuongua. Consultants, Reverend Van Rooy and Frances Bantom, from the Toevlug Rehabilitation Centre in Worcester, South Africa, facilitated the conference. After care is given to a person after they finish their addiction treatment at a rehabilitation centre with an effort to become healthy again, be happy within a family circle and also to be able to do their work in a way that satisfies the employer. Many rehabilitated persons have relapsed because of among others lack of support. Van Rooy said with support from spouses, children, employers and support groups, 80 percent of patients stayed drug- or alcohol-free with many blaming relapses on lack of support. She said substance abuse, like HIV/AIDS had no boundaries as it affected every class in society. Katjiuongua said the workshop was important to ensure that proper aftercare services are given to rehabilitated persons in order for rehabilitation to succeed. She said aftercare services act as a bridge that links the rehabilitated alcohol and drug clients to the community underpinning why the community should get involved in offering support. The ministry has started reaching out to other regions to establish Circle of Friends, a support group that will be offering support to rehabilitated persons. Namibia has three rehabilitation centres, Etegameno, a Government-funded centre on the outskirts of Windhoek, NovaVita and the Walvis Bay Rehabilitation Centre. Patients at Etegameno are treated for six weeks.