Dependency prevention

Mbamana Ndjoze Just try me once and I might let you go, but try me twice, and I’ll own your soul. Drugs are substances we try to stay away from, because we are aware of the consequences they have for our state of mind, our bodies, our lives and families; yet so many continue to be caught in their inescapable web of destruction and deceit. Not only are drugs damaging and addictive substances, but alcohol is a factor in crime such as domestic violence, murder and rape in Namibia, and affects the youth in ways one cannot even imagine. Other dependencies affecting the youth are technology and sugar addiction. The latter has been linked to the same level of addiction as cocaine. And like cocaine, the longer it is ingested, the higher the dosage required to attain the same ‘high’.Our very own Carina Strydom and Melanie Campbell along with Almuth Schwarting run the DHPS dependency prevention team – a team that strives to prevent dependency through in-depth education. However, should dependency occur, they try to find ways to remove this yoke from the affected. At its inception, the programme was deemed necessary, because it is better to deal with prevention than with addiction in the long run, which is why our teachers, for the last few years, have been fighting the good fight to get the programme on the go. The programme includes anti-smoking and anti-alcohol workshops, which are held at least once a year, alternatively for grades 6 and 7, and grades 7 and 8. This way all learners have the opportunity to attend every workshop at least once. Other plans include motto days, which are days such as Day of Kindness and International Women’s Day, where activities will be held to create further awareness and help keep the school premises free of drugs and alcohol, and provide a platform for students who may have information and problems regarding addiction. An information evening was held on 11 March where occupational therapist Inken Kuehhirt discussed the theme ‘How to deal with the challenges of adolescence: developing a health whole’. An additional guest speaker was Dorothee Grasreiner, a mother who shared her painful journey with drugs and dependency, which ultimately ended in tragedy. This evening was exceedingly informative.Should a student have any information relating to substance abuse or distribution, both Carina and Melanie can be contacted via email at c.strydom@dhps-windhoek.com and m.campbell@dhps-windhoek.com Alternatively, face-to-face conversations or handwritten notes can be delivered to the staffroom and are welcome. All correspondence is treated with the strictest confidence.

Dependency prevention

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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Dependency prevention

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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