EMFULENI. – The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) in the region says it has noted with shock and disbelief an incident involving a Kitso Primary School Grade 7 learner alleged to be using Allergex to get high.
This follows the announcement by Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko, who reported that upon her arrival at the school to address matters of safety recently, they were shown a mixture of Allergex being used by learners.
Mazibuko warned against the use of the mixture, saying that it was very dangerous and that parents must guard against it.
The Department of Community Safety working alongside the Emfuleni Local Municipality and various law enforcement have embarked on random school raids in Sedibeng in a bid to rid schools of drugs.
NASGB says:
“As an association we held an awareness campaign in Vanderbijlpark working together with the SAPS to highlight the reckless dispensing of cough mixtures by some pharmacies to learners.”
NASGB adds that during the awareness campaign, parents were urged to be vigilant of their children being in possession of cough mixtures, particularly codeine, as it is allegedly a favourite amongst users of this concoction.
“Every parent must take precautionary steps to always monitor their child at home and after school in order to detect any deviation from their normal behaviour. It would also assist if an instruction book between a parent and an educator would be kept to report any unbecoming behaviour.”
The association states that parenting remains a societal responsibility.
“This is why we urge all parents to report groups of learners in public spaces as these are usual places where learners abuse this illicit mixture.”
NASGB states that the usage of these concoctions has been more prevalent in high schools.
“We strongly suspect peer pressure to be one of the main reasons.
“We further urge parents to join efforts in combating drug use by joining the joint campaign with the CPF, SAPS by highlighting the dangers of reckless dispensing of cough mixtures to young people”
