Addressing Hwange district stakeholders, the Hwange District Development Coordinator, Simon Muleya who is chairing the Drug and Substance abuse Task Force Committee said the fight against drug and substance abuse is a collective effort which needs everyone’s contribution. “This fight against drug and substance abuse has become more of a pandemic to the nation as it is destroying the future of the younger generation. Therefore it is no longer an individual fight but a collective one,” he said.
The drug scourge has been blamed on factors such as youth exposure to technological gadgets, weak policing, and an increase in child-headed households due to parent migration, neglect or death. Muleya revealed that some isolation centres established during the COVID-19 pandemic will be turned into rehabilitation centres for drug addicts. “The government has assigned us to work towards turning the isolation centres into rehabilitation centres. This will be a way of re–integration of drug addicts,” he said.
The Hwange District Drug and Substance Task Force Committee will have subcommittees such as the re-integration committee which will deal with people who use drugs, the Supply Reduction committees, Media and Communication and publicity as well as the Demand Reduction Committee just to mention a few. Common drivers of drug and substance abuse include peer pressure, broken
families, emotional and physical abuse and curiosity often resulting in addiction.
Meanwhile, Supt Gibson Mazhovore under CID, Crime in Matebeleland North said, the police are ready to eradicate drug abuse in the province through awareness campaigns. Of late police have been doing awareness campaigns at Hwange Teachers College Watch Video
“We have been doing awareness campaigns in Hwange district, and we are also warning drug lords with stiffer sentences if caught on the wrong side of the law,” said Supt Mazhovore. Commonly abused drugs include cannabis, crystal meth and prescribed cocaine. Statistics show that many recent admissions to Zimbabwe health hospital are a result of drug abuse and this has a negative impact in the society.
