EDITORIAL : Drugs:Deal with it now or pay the price
What you need to know:
- We want to believe that this situation can be reversed--that we can pull these children and young people from the brink.
It might be hard to pinpoint the number of drug addicts in Tanzania, but we can all agree that the problem is big. Drug abuse can be seen even among youth and children, mostly in the streets of our neighbourhoods.
However, though we’re complaining about the menace, we’re doing little to rehabilitate the addicts. The question is: How long shall we let our children get dragged deeper into drugs? How long shall we stand aside and watch them die slowly, but surely?
We can only hope that local communities are actively seeking solutions. But that could be a long shot, given the fact that it is in these same communities that the drugs menace is growing in leaps and bounds.
We could give rehabilitation a try. Medical experts who deal with mental disorders argue that though it might take long to fight addiction, it can be done with patience and determination. This is the only meaningful solution that we can pursue. This nation cannot afford to lose the energy and brains of about 500,000 youth to drugs.
Since 2011, the number of drug addicts who seek treatment at rehabilitation clinics has risen to about 200,000. At a squatter suburb in Nyamagana District with a population of less than 3,000 inhabitants, the number of drugs abusers is shocking. With some 360 drug addicts, including 67 aged below 18, the ward paints a sharp picture of just how big the problem is.
We want to believe that this situation can be reversed--that we can pull these children and young people from the brink.
The effort we put into keeping narcotic drugs out of circulation should match efforts to treat and rehabilitate addicts. Educating society on the dangers of drugs will help. To win the war, though, our school curriculum should incorporate training to help rescue our youth, who are the most vulnerable to drug abuse.
