PUBLIC Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, last Thursday called on the Pesticide Board to be more proactive in its approach towards promoting safe, efficient and proper storage of pesticides to keep them from getting into the wrong hands.The Minister was at the time addressing the launch of the Guyana Police Force “Guyana Interagency Suicide Prevention Helpline”.
The Public Security Minister who made reference to a 2014 World Health Organisation report spoke of the need for restrictions to the most common pesticides, including poisons and hazardous substances, since the move has worked in other countries.
Locked away
Ramjattan also called on the dealers and users of these substances to ensure that they keep these in safe places and not allow them to be left lying around the house or farm.
“They must be locked away and the pesticides board, that is another inter-government agency that can help, must be involved in more public awareness to knock off the bad habits of these dealers and users, primarily farmers.”
He pointed to Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne) where most of the cases of suicide occur and where most men, particularly of East Indian descent, are the ones who commit or attempt suicide with the use of pesticides.
“I am sure that there are many other things that can help but I will wish to emphasise that clearly we go with some form of public awareness to ensure that just like your firearms, you have the safe keeping places and safe keeping regulations for these things, so too must we do with pesticides and hazardous substances,” Ramjattan stressed.
Unregulated sale
Suicide continues to be a major problem in Guyana and despite some efforts by the authorities to bring it under control, the unregulated sale of pesticides appears to be fuelling the scourge. Guyana has no legislation governing the sale of pesticides, and the chemicals are readily available at unlicensed shops countrywide, particularly in rural areas where the problem is rampant.
In 2014 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Guyana had the highest suicide rate in the world, pointing out that the country has an age-standardised suicide rate of 44.2 per 100,000 inhabitants.