Drugs driving mental health problems

CHINHOYI – MENTAL health problems in the province have increased this year by 15 percent
from 50 percent last year to 65 percent, with drugs and substance abuse being the major drivers.
The Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital has so far recorded nine cases since January. Those mostly
with substance induced psychosis are between the ages of 16 and 40 and are mostly males.
Substance abuse is any harmful or hazardous use of psycho-active substance says Nurse-in-
Charge of the Isolation Ward, Mental Health at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, Chrispen Sande.
Drug and substance abuse have resulted in many negative consequences, namely death, poor
health, financial burdens, domestic violence, community nuisance, school drop outs and poor
decision-making that is leading to mental health problems, explained Sande.
At the recently held provincial National Youth Day commemorations, two inmates from
Chinhoyi Prisons, gave testimonies that drug and substance abuse contributed significantly to
their imprisonment.
Kudzai Munyai (25), one of the inmates said, he started abusing drugs while in high school,
which resulted in him dropping out of school. His family cut off his money supply as they
refused to fund his drug habit and he turned to crime to fund it.
He was sent to jail for destroying his family’s property.
I started abusing drugs when I was in high school and this made me drop out at ‘A’ level. I
became a serial thief so that I can have money to buy the drugs I needed. Because of the drugs, I
became a society problem, a youth without respect for the elders because the drugs were
controlling me."
Anopa Mashiri (29) of Katanda Chinhoyi, who appeared at the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court
accused of stealing his mother's mattress, which he said belonged to his late sister, admitted to
having been intoxicated by crystal methamphetamine (mutoriro), which he claimed his friends
had forced him to take when he committed the offence.
However, outside the Court, people who knew him said that Mashiri abused drugs and was in
serious need of rehabilitation as people were seeing signs of substance induced psychosis.
Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-
Chikoka, at the National Youth Day provincial commemorations described the war against drugs

as worse that an actual war as people in a war were shot dead and everyone knew that they were
dead and would no longer be able to see them while drugs killed the user slowly, destroying their
health, future and everything around them.
“They kill you slowly and yet you are still living, make you believe that life is well when you
just escaped reality wapinda in ecstasy. Killing your future and killing everything around you
even the relationship with family members and neighbours everything in your way.
“These drugs were designed in a way that the users keep wanting more and more in order to get
the feeling of ecstasy, the feeling of being on top of the world, above the law and above everyone
else,” she said.
She likened a person who takes drugs to a demon saying the moment one uses drugs they
changed their behaviour and become someone else, like what Munyai had alluded to.
“When you keep taking these drugs you become a demon that destroys everything in its way,
you end up stealing when people refuse to give you money.
“Vamwe vabereki havachisina maplates mumba because their drug-using children vanotora
vachitengesa just to get money to buy drugs, because you will do anything just to get $3 to buy
drugs,” she said.
She encouraged people in the community to tell the police about the drug bases that people go to
buy drugs from and also denounced police officers, who warn the drug suppliers that the police
were on their way to raid them. .
Concurring with Sande, Wilson Box, Director of the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug
Network, said the excessive use of drugs and other harmful substances had led to people
developing mental challenges.
Mental health problems have always been there; it is only recently in Zimbabwe where the
excess use of narcotic drugs has led to mental challenges, especially amongst crystal meth
users, said Box.
He also said that there was nothing called drug addiction. It was only a person with drug use
challenges, and in-order to curb this problem a lot has to be done.
“There is need to reform the laws. Are the current drug laws serving the purpose? Close the tap
where drugs are coming from and create employment for the youth.”
He urged the authorities to decriminalise the use of drugs to end the problem because illicit drug
use was a public health concern rather than a criminal issue.
Decriminalise drug use to facilitate the treatment of people who use drugs, support people who
use drugs and not punish them, punishment pushes away people who use drugs from seeking
help and this increases drug use, said Box.
He also added that drug intoxication was temporary because when attended to early, one could
be treated.
Sande agreed with Box, saying that at the hospital they treated, gave counseling to those who
have substance induced psychosis and provided services, but these services were limited because
there was need to have a rehabilitation centre at the institution so that everyone, who needed
help could have access to it.
Once one has been into rehab, it is very rare for him or her to turn back into using drugs, he
explained.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the weekend called for concerted efforts by individuals and
leaders in fighting the drug problem in the country as it is destroying the younger generation.