say no to drugs

"Say No to Drugs" is now visible almost everywhere. No matter you are taking public transport, watching TV, or even simply dawdling on the street, the same message appears in front of you, so frequently as if you yourself are already a drug addict. Yet, you know this kind of immense promotion is essential, owing to a rapid increase in the number of youths abusing drugs in Hong Kong.

Drug abuse is not a new issue; it has been with not only us, but also all over the world for years, or even centuries, and the main reason of the persistent threat of this problem is simple: drugs can be addictive. Misuse of drugs is lethal - once you are addicted to drugs, you can suffer from hallucination, nausea, brain damage, and even death.

These youths of course should be blamed for such reckless behaviour, because teenage should be a time where they have already developed senses about what is right and wrong; given the frequent health education lessons at school, they should have understood that drug abuse is not a hobby to enjoy, but an addiction to shun. Yet, despite the efforts made by the schools, these youths are still foolish enough to join the parade of death. Therefore, it is logical for them to take responsibility for their lack of critical thinking.

However, no matter how messed up these youths are, parents should also be condemned. Although youths have already come to the world for some years, there are still many things which they have no idea how to deal with. For instance, they may start abusing drugs because of peer pressure. Therefore, parents have the responsibility to guide their children and help them walk through difficulties. Unfortunately, parents in Hong Kong often need to work long hours, and sometimes are not even allowed to take a rest at weekends, so they seldom have time to communicate with their children. Consequently, it is inevitable that some youths are coerced into drug abuse and cannot get rid of drugs ever since.

To tackle the problem, several measures have already been taken. For instance, all schools in Northern District join the Trial Scheme on School Drug Testing to find out students who are drug abusers. When these students are identified, they are referred to counseling service until they recover. So far, 15 such students have already been identified.

More schools should also be built to help young drug abusers get rid of drugs and learn skills which will be useful to them when they return to society. Right now there is only one school in Hong Kong which provides service, but obviously a single school is not enough, because many young drug abusers are now waiting in the long queue to get into this school, and it is estimated the number of waiters will increase consistently in the short run. Therefore, by building more schools, these youths can join the working force in a shorter time, thus having more time to make constructive contributions.

Education is also crucial to combating drug abuse. Schoolchildren should attend school talks, workshops and visits to drug abuse rehabilitation centres to have a more in-depth understanding about what harm drug abuse brings them. People who were once drug addicts can also act as guest speakers to share their stories and warn the others not to ever abuse drugs. Also, competitions and performances can be held to raise the public's awareness about this issue.

I hope that the measures mentioned above will raise more concerns about the problem, and hopefully no more youths become a slave of drugs, because drug abuse is definitely a trap that you should never step in. Therefore, do keep yourself a lifelong promise - say "No" to drugs! I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW TO START A SPEECH
-nurul nasuha