{"id":26817,"date":"2025-03-10T18:30:35","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T18:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/?p=26817"},"modified":"2025-03-10T18:30:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T18:30:36","slug":"canu-launches-awareness-campaign-to-combat-synthetic-drugs-in-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/canu-launches-awareness-campaign-to-combat-synthetic-drugs-in-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"CANU Launches Awareness Campaign to Combat Synthetic Drugs in Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n\n<p><em>By Nakasia Logan<\/em><br><em>February 10, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> With synthetic drugs increasingly making their way into Guyana, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is ramping up efforts to protect children and vulnerable communities through an awareness campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CANU Director James Singh revealed that while the agency has not yet seized synthetic drugs in schools, reports suggest their presence, prompting a proactive approach to prevent future cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRather than waiting until this is a problem, we believe in awareness,\u201d Singh said, noting that CANU has issued a public bulletin warning students and parents about the dangers of these substances, which may be disguised as regular candy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Singh also highlighted the growing influx of synthetic drugs into Guyana from Europe via transit routes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike traditional narcotics such as high-grade marijuana and cocaine, these substances are often found in social settings like nightclubs, where they are used to enhance energy and prolong wakefulness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond enforcement, CANU is prioritizing education and community engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The agency is working with the Drug Information Network and local stakeholders to sensitize communities on drug-related risks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Singh stated that CANU has submitted a school safety programme for review by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which aims to establish secure zones within and around schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want to focus on the youth, ensuring that those in vulnerable areas are informed about what to look out for and how to report suspicious activity,\u201d Singh emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through continuous collaboration with local and international partners, CANU remains committed to keeping synthetic drugs off Guyana\u2019s streets and safeguarding the nation\u2019s children.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Nakasia LoganFebruary 10, 2025 With synthetic drugs increasingly making their way into Guyana, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) is ramping up efforts to protect children and vulnerable communities through&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[365,363,350],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-development","category-national-transformation","category-news"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26818,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26817\/revisions\/26818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ncnguyana.com\/2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}