The message of drug prevention for the Island's youth was driven home yesterday at the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation's Drug Prevention conference.

The event, at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) featured keynote speaker, Dr. Andrea Barthwell, a US expert on drug prevention and treatment in the community.

Dr. Barthwell, among other things, is a board member for the Institute on Global Drug Policy and currently works for the US Government. In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated her to serve as deputy director for demand reduction in the office of National Drug Control Policy.

She was subsequently confirmed in the position by the US Senate. Earlier, Minister of Social Rehabilitation Dale Butler had touted Government's National Drug Control Master Plan for 2007-2011.

Government unveiled the plan last December, which gives equal weight to reducing demand and supply.

Mr. Butler noted the five-year plan, which had been two years in the making, would bring together all the agencies including Police, Customs and the Department of National Drug Control in one coordinated effort.

Analysing the Master Plan, Dr. Barthwell said: "It's wonderful to see how this is coming together in a way that delivers on the promises that are in there."

She then continued on the issue of youth: "It's imperative to keep young people off (of drugs) and it's imperative to then communicate to them that what we do as a society and individuals and expectation that they will not initiate.

"(For example), if you tell a young (teenager) that smoking marijuana will somehow demasculate them, or their male hormones will be reduced – it is something that will get their attention."

UBP Parliamentarian Donte Hunt, also in attendance, thought it was good that Government was weighing both sides of the plight of illicit drugs.

He told this paper: "I've had about a good hour listening to the presentation and I think it's good that we're looking at prevention and it's also certainly good we're looking at the different stages of kids' lives.

"And factors that lead into why kids maybe use drugs.

"Unfortunately (the conference) is on a Thursday and I wish it was maybe on a Saturday when more people could attend and I could attend all day, but I think it's a step in the right direction."

Spectator Macal Roberts, added: "I can definitely say, when looking at it from the beginning, Minister Butler gave a great speech, as he always does... and our guest speaker, they gave a very brilliant introduction to young people in general.

"It doesn't make a difference what age you are because you still go through that livelihood of adolescence."