"VG Small Island With Big Problem," - Dr. Hodge-Wright Says
"I would say at least every other week we have been seeing one person from Virgin Gorda in the hospital for detoxification or for problems related to addiction." This according to someone who knows the extent of drug and alcohol addiction in the territory - Dr. Maris Hodge-Wright of the Sandy Lane Centre.
Dr. Hodge-Wright was speaking during a two-day conference entitled "A Community Understanding and Responding to Addictionâ" held at the Ashford Waters Community Centre on Virgin Gorda last Thursday and Friday.
Dr. Hodge-Wright said the increasing number of patients from Virgin Gorda led to the need for last week's conference. "We decided to do this conference because we were having a lot of patients coming to Tortola to the hospital for problems of addiction," she explained. She added that the addiction includes crack cocaine and alcohol "but mostly alcohol." She noted that there has only been one case from Anegada in the last 12 months, one from Jost Van Dyke every once in a while. However, of Virgin Gorda she explained, "right now Virgin Gorda's problems are catching up with Tortola, and it's becoming a small island with big problems."
The Conference
"We wanted to work with the community," the addiction expert said. She believes that if the community is educated on what addiction is it will be in a better position to assist. "If the community understands the problem it can help to prevent some of the young people that we are seeing with problems of addiction so that they will not succumb to addiction," said Dr. Hodge-Wright. "This conference is to help you to realise what addiction is, your role in preventing it, and your role as a concerned citizen of Virgin Gorda." The participants in the conference were trained to work with addicts in the community and given a better understanding of the psyche of addicts. Topics covered during the conference included, what is addiction, drug awareness & treatment, addiction and the family, family intervention, and community intervention. Participants in the conference included police officers, nurses, business personnel and community workers.
A Community Problem
Addiction is a community problem was one of the messages coming out of the conference. "If I am an addict and I have children then it becomes a family problem," she explained. "If I have a husband, of course I have a problem and it goes vice versa if the child is a child of an alcoholic and goes to school it has problems and therefore it becomes a community problem." She stressed that problems with crack, marijuana and alcohol use spill over into community problems. "Right now in Tortola where we never had criminal activity, we have to lock our doors; of course addiction is a community problem!" At-Large Representative Honourable Reeial George agreed addiction has negative impact on the community. Speaking at Thursday's opening ceremony, he explained that, "the main danger of persons becoming addicted and being unable to afford the expense of the drug they crave is that they turn to criminal activities." These he listed as larceny, robbery, murder, begging and prostitution in order to raise money for their own habits, "and in the process innocent persons become the victims." Causes of addiction Honourable George expressed the view that the BVI's major drug problem is that of transshipment because of the territory's geography. He however noted, "yet you will no doubt find some spill off that threatens the very fabric of our society with special emphasis on young people."
"Pressured by their peers, problems within their family and society young people are in constant search of excitement new experiences to escape from reality, endangering their happiness and even their lives by experimenting with drugs," the Parliamentarian explained. He however sees a silver lining behind the dark cloud of drug addiction. "The problem is a very complex one, as old as mankind," he said. "Yet there is hope through the strengthening of our community services that will include the churches, social and service clubs, the Courts and probation officers, the Police and specialist personnel." Mr. George stressed that an enlightened public is a crucial partner in the fight against addiction.
Dr. Hodge-Wright said the conference participants now have critical role to play. "They should be the ambassadors in this community against addiction," she stated. "They should be able to promote community intervention and help to get the community involved in doing things that are anti-addiction or anti-drug use."