Declare drug abuse a national disaster-Govt told

Harare(New Ziana) –The Zimbabwe government should declare the rampant abuse of dangerous drugs in the country as a national disaster to enable it to mobilise resources for dealing with the crisis, the National Assembly heard on Tuesday.

Norton MP Temba Mliswa made the clarion call when he rose on a point of national importance shortly before the business of the House commenced.

“There is an excessive drug abuse across the country. It would be good for us to understand the measures Government is taking to curb that. While there is unemployment and many other reasons that it has gotten to a level where it has become a way of life,” he said, adding his constituency was a hotspot.

Mliswa said out of three youths that one came across, two of them were intoxicated, leaving the public with questions on what should be done.

“I am hoping that it must be declared a national disaster. It has to be declared a national disaster so that Government comes up with measures of ensuring that there are rehabilitation centres and hospitals to start taking care of them to see how best they can get out of this situation,” he said.

He said he foresaw a situation where, if the government did not take decisive action on the situation, there would not be a nation or generation to talk about, and that was costly.

“It is expensive and when they are intoxicated, they can do anything. They are stealing and you cannot report your child for stealing. So crime rate increases and abuse as well with other parties and so forth. So Madam Speaker, it is important that it is declared a national disaster and Government comes up with measures of curbing it, or else the situation, as I have said, is totally out of hand,” said Mliswa.

In response, deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mable Chinomona said the point of national interest was valid.

“Sure, the issue of drug abuse has become a pandemic. I think we can ask the responsible Minister to come to this House with a Ministerial Statement so that Hon. Members of Parliament can have chances to interrogate the Minister on how the Government is intending to deal with this issue of drug abuse,” she said.

There is growing concern among Zimbabweans at the high numbers of people, particularly youths in high density areas, who are abusing dangerous drugs, the most common being marijuana, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine (commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka”).

New Ziana