BARBADOS is fast becoming a nation of legal and illegal drug addicts, says Monsignor Vincent Blackett.
He made the observation yesterday while officiating at a Heart & Stroke Foundation church service at St Patrick’s Cathedral to mark World Heart Day.
The monsignor told the congregation at the Jemmott’s Lane, St Michael church: “You see so many people with bundles of pills wherever you go: one for this, one for that, and one for the other.
“We need to reduce drug dependency; we really need to turn that around. Filling our systems with chemicals can do us absolutely no good.
“More and more money is being spent by Government to look after the health of people. How about [our starting to take] care of our health and depending less on Government and other agencies?” Blackett asked.
Several tips
The priest gave the sizeable congregation several tips on healthy living that included: developing a relationship with God and spending quiet time in his company; developing a healthy relationship with other people; desisting from worry; and developing a hearty appetite.
He suggested that having a sound relationship with God could help to improve any situation with one’s heart. He said there were far too many people who constantly engaged in bickering.
“To put it simply,” Blackett added, “it means stop minding other people’s business and mind your own. Every time we meet someone we find a lot of time to gossip about other people, and that can ruin your heart,” he argued.
“Jesus told us not to worry . . . . Worrying brings on anxiety and anxiety can ruin the heart. When I say develop a hearty appetite, you are thinking about how much food you can consume. [But] I am talking about an appetite that is good for the heart.”
He explained that this hearty eating excluded a lot of what Barbadians currently consumed.
“An increased number of pork limes can’t help us in any way. I am seeing more and more people turning to fast-food places to be nourished. What good is that for the heart?” Blackett asked.
