The link between drug use and HIV/AIDS among young people in ...

Participants indicated that young people used drugs as a form of escape from emotional problems.
These emotional problems were identified as family / home issues (conflicts with parents, step-parents
and relatives; family health concerns, care-taking), peer pressure, boy/girlfriend issues, and difficulties
arising from coping with the demands of schoolwork.
“You had a bad day at home and you go out and you want to cool down your mind, so you
take a smoke of marijuana. Sometimes you get disappointed by a girl so you take it on
and then you start to drink alcohol first, then you take a smoke of marijuana after and
then you end up in cocaine.” [males and females, 20-24, out of school]
It was further reported by most groups that poor parent-child relationships (a result of the generation
gap, pressure from parents, and parents’ actions and expectations of their children) and the perceived
abuse inflicted upon children by parents were one of the primary causes of drug use among youth.
“Parents are a real problem. Most of it is parents. Me mother has an attitude always
cursing us like me aunt. Most of the reasons why we take drugs is adult fault.” [females,
14-16, out of school]
Both alcohol and marijuana were perceived as stress relieving drugs, but, marijuana was the drug of
choice to relieve stress.
“If you stress out, you smoke a weed and you feel better.” [females, 14-16, out of school]
Five focus groups further reported the use of drugs, particularly marijuana among youth for relaxation,
tranquility and meditation.
“Some say when they smoke it (marijuana) they get a calm feeling, put them in a relaxing
state, give them a kind of different feeling to normal life. You want a little relax, and to
relax the brain you just smoke something.” [males and females, 17-19, in and out of
school]
Family influences and poor role models
A total of nine groups stated that parents, family members and adults influenced the youth into drug
use based on their activities and lifestyles.
“Is a common thing. The way they design the system you hear them going around and say
‘the youth this, the youth that, nothing good for youths’. Is big people we get the things
from, that is how it go.” [males, 14-16, out of school]
It was further reported that parents who used drugs encouraged and in some instances pressured
their children into the same activity.
“If you in a home an your mother smoking you father smoking and you try to pull away
from that, they would have a negative vibes for you. … they go be like you not me child,
how you not (doing) this thing and we doing this. So the parents have a big responsibility
in getting their children to do these thing and they are responsible for the majority of
drug use in Grenada.” [females, 14-16, in school]
Participants reported parents as particularly encouraging young children in the consumption of alcohol
during the festive seasons.
“During the holiday that coming up – Christmas – 2 year-old babies will take alcohol.
Otherwise or other times when they see the children drinking alcohol they will say no, but
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