REUVEN – Whether they are for or against it, seven high schools debated the drugs issue in a School Debate Day held at Reuven Complex on Wednesday August 20.
In the end Kenilworth High School was the best school on the day, beating Hoërskool Die Fakkel in the final. The other high schools were Forest High School, Horizon High School, Jordao College, Hoërskool President and Sir John Adamson High School.
Youth Desk at Booysens Police Station organised the event along with Social Crime Prevention. Opening the event was Ward 55 Cllr Rashieda Landis, who pledged: “I will not do drugs or substance abuse and I will make sure my ward follow suit.”
Warrant Officer Cornelius said the purpose of the debate was to hear from the learners. “We want to know what are the learners’ thoughts on drugs and their perspectives,” he said.
Charlene Dearling from Alcohol and Drug Concerns made a presentation to the learners on how they can abstain from drugs and substance abuse. “Our country is under siege; one out of three SA citizens is a drug addict. According to SAPS stats last year, 60 per cent of all crimes nationally were related to drugs,” she noted.
There were three topics on the day: Are drugs a problem in our schools, Should you be punished when caught with drugs and Should SAPS be allowed to do raids at schools?
Also chairperson for Booysens Police Youth Desk, Patricia Mathebula urged the community to join them. “We need volunteers in the community as we have different projects that we host monthly. For more information call 078 884 7463 or 011 433 5222 and ask to be transferred to CPF office,” she said.
