Enjoy the holidays, stay safe!
The year has many holidays, but the Christmas one seem to have a certain buzz to them. Even people who under normal circumstances are usually sane tend to shift their mindset a little crazy.
Many have started their celebrations, and sometimes the overexcitement brings heartbreaking consequences. Some end up in road traffic accidents that could have been avoided, while others engage in risky sexual encounters.
Condoms are not just a pregnancy preventative, as many young Batswana seem to think; they also protect from sexually transmitted infections, some of which are not curable.
The Ministry of Health hosted an event last week aimed at cautioning the youth to avoid excessive drinking that could put their lives in danger. Different speakers at the event expressed concern that some young people tend to overdrink and indulge in reckless behaviours during Christmas.
“When the festive period is here, I get scared for our youth because it is the time when we admit a lot of road accident victims. It saddens me because it seems like Batswana will never learn. You have to sit down and ask yourself what you want to achieve in life. If you want to have a PhD or be a business person, ask yourself if your actions are in line with your dreams. Some of you sleep with a lot of people in one night, but ask yourselves if you will be proud of your actions in the future.
“I hope you know the HIV statistics in our country. Most of the youth are infected with HIV. If you are to have foursomes, know that two of those people might be HIV positive. You can also have STIs where it affects your fallopian tubes if you are a woman, and for men, it can hinder you from urinating,” explained Dr Tshepo Machacha.
Young and middle-aged individuals who like to live dangerously often make comments that some people are boring when they are cautioned about their reckless behaviour. Sadly, as Dr Machacha said, Batswana never learn. You will see a person who survived a horrific accident, which happened because they were drunk, continuing to get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.
Videos of people having sex at bars and other entertainment spots are going to start circulating. Some people, when they are under the influence of alcohol, make decisions that they wouldn’t have made with a sober mind.
Let’s make it a point to take care of ourselves during the festive season! This is a time to celebrate with family or go on holiday with family and friends, not a time to get drunk from sunrise to sunset. The Monitor team wishes all its readers a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!