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By Joyce Mukucha recently in Chinhoyi
Worldwide, the vulnerability of young people to drug abuse has in recent years become a major concern and Zimbabwe is not an exception.
According to United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the consequences of widespread drug abuse and trafficking, particularly for young men and women, are all too apparent with violence, particularly street violence, oftenly resulting from drug abuse and illicit drug networks.
Against this background, a plethora of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe are working tirelessly to ensure that drug and substance abuse amongst young people is combated.
Among these organisations, Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN), a local organisation is playing a crucial role in designing and implementing education programmes and individual counselling to encourage the integration of youth into the community, to develop healthy lifestyles and to raise awareness of the damaging impact of drugs.
Speaking during a recent National AIDS Council media workshop in Chinhoyi the ZCLDN Director, Wilson Box said young people’s future was being destroyed by drugs thus the need to takr action in ending the vice.
In an interview on the sidelines of the workshop, Box told Spiked Online Media that his organisation was committed to try and find drug abuse prevention initiatives such as discouraging young people from taking drugs, thus preventing involuntary addiction, to helping those who are abusing drugs to stop doing so.
“As Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, we are assisting our young generations in Zimbabwe on two fronts. The first front we have managed to ensure that the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan is adopted by the government as a framework to which all strategies that need to be put in place to assist all young people and all people who use drugs.
“Secondly we are also into awareness campaigns and we have come up with five support groups so far where we engage people who use drugs on all fronts that is all age groups and we actually talk to them on the dangers of illicit drug use in the country,” said Box.
ZCLDN, he said, also has programmes aimed at helping parents to stay alert so that they can easily notice it when a child start using drugs.
“We are also open to advise parents on how they can actually detect that this child is now on drugs. On drugs education there is what we are doing in this moment in time as an advocacy organisation.”
Box said the response from parents of children who use drugs has been very positive though there are still existing gaps which need to be filled in as such as treatment is concerned which include government intervention in availing more affordable public mental health institutions to ensure that everyone can access needed help.
He said young people who are drug-dependent should be targeted as priority candidates for treatment and rehabilitation services and should be segregated as appropriate.
“The response has been very positive so far because when parents come to us with their children we refer them to our social psycho desk which we operate as Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network and then from there that’s when we refer them to specialists who actually treat people who use drugs.
“However, a lot still need to be done so we are calling upon the government of Zimbabwe to avail public health institutions in terms of rehabilitation centres which are affordable so that our people can get assistance.”
Speaking to this publication, Kudakwashe Madzima who once abused illicit drugs and substances hailed ZCLDG for the efforts and support they are extending to different people in different communities highlighting that the organisation positively impacted his life.
“Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network is making commendable strides in as much as fight against drug abuse is concerned. They approached me as someone who at some point abused drugs and harmful substances and they assisted me with much psychological and social support,” he said.
Madzima who is now focusing on farming projects as a way of self-sustainance said he started using drugs from 2008 to 2018 stating that his life became a mess because of addiction.
He urged other young people out there to desist from using or trying to use drugs explaining that it is harmful to health and lead to destruction of the entire human body.
“I want to encourage young people to try by all means to shun drug abuse and temptations of wanting to try to use illicit substances. I was a victim, I was there and I know the consequences. Young people should find something to do such as small businesses and other small initiatives to keep themselves busy rather than spending time using drugs. There is no life there, let’s say no to drugs and become future leaders who are smart, focused and above all who are healthy!”
Participants at the workshop emphasised the need for different stakeholders to work in solidarity and come up with national initiatives and measures to combat illicit drug trafficking which should be fully supported and reinforced at national level.
Other speakers stressed that preventive education programmes showing the dangers of drug abuse are particularly important for example increasing opportunities for gainful employment and activities which provide recreation and opportunities to develop a variety of skills are important in helping young people to resist drugs.
The resolutions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and in the demand reduction programmes of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme emphasise on drug control strategies at the national and international levels consistently emphasize initiatives aimed at reducing drug abuse among young people.