Youths prefer to listen to their friends

“After having carried out the Youth at Risk Project Stichting Rumas has concluded that youths prefer to listen to the advice of their friends when it comes to using drugs,” said Milton Tuwart, project trainer at the foundation. Tuwart pointed out that he often meets youths who admit that they started using drugs due to peer pressure in their circle of friends. The youths explained that they caved in to the pressure because they just wanted to be part of the tough group. As a result of the peer pressure they start using hash, marijuana and crystal meth which is locally known as sukru. In most cases the youths end up on the wrong path and eventually end up at the Rumas Foundation for counseling. The Rumas Foundation has had youths from the ages 12 to 16. “All of them were badly hooked on drugs and therefore had to be referred to the Psychiatric Center Suriname (PCS),” said Tuwart who added that it is not possible to help each and every child to kick the habit. Some youths display aggressive and rebellious behavior. In the past such children would have been handcuffed and locked up at once in order to teach them a lesson. “But that method stopped being effective years ago,” said Tuwart. “If such a youth is locked up, he or she gets feelings of revenge and just goes back to his or her old ways after being released. It is better to make them realize the consequences of the long term effects of drug abuse or the dark side of drug abuse,” said Tuwart.