This New Prescription Drug Epidemic Is Scaring Schools. The drug has bad side effects if it is used for a very long time.
A new drug epidemic is scaring educators, parents and principals. Students had a trend of drinking flu medication that had the codeine substance. The students bought cough medicine and mixed it with soft drinks so they could drink at their schools. Flu medication could be out because a new drug trend just came into the picture; this drug’s results are way crazier.
Xanax is cheap medication that is people use for their panic attacks, anxiety and the inability to sleep. Xanax is sold at R1 a pop but the streets put some unnecessary taxes, which makes it R7 a pop. Educators say that it is controlling school children in KwaZulu-Natal.
The drug has bad side effects if it is used for a very long time. The person using the drug for a long time could have bad concentration, bad speech patterns, have a hard time remembering anything, moody, producing more spit and dull. School principals state that they did not understand why students that were at their optimum level before the school holidays were then fatigued, moody and had hostile behaviour. Some of the students dozed off in their classes.
Educators say that they have seen a rise in students that are caught engaging in sexual intercourse at their respective school yards. The educators think that some of the students are being given the Xanax drug so that they can be more susceptible. One principal said she spoke about the problem she had about students with an educator, the principal found out that the educator has the same issue.
Doctor Lochan Naidoo, a clinical director at Jullo Specialist Rehab Centre in Merebank, says the Xanax drug depressed the mind and decreased anxiety. The drug is also said to give people sleep. When consumed with alcoholic drinks, the medication drug has a sedative impact. Doctor Lochan Naido says, “Xanax is now one of the most abused drugs accessible on the black market as a new trend by drug dealers to deal in prescription medicine.”
Prabhir Patel, a pharmacist at Meranti Pharmacy in Mobeni Heights, says that he thinks that the street dealers were illicitly obtaining letters to buy the drugs at the pharmacy. They then sell it at a high price for those who want it on the black market. Patel says that he is scared for the students that have to walk to school with the effects of Xanax. He says that this puts them in danger of being crashed by a car or dozing off while sleeping.
by Alexandra Ramaite
