Teenagers patronising bars worrying

Dear Editor,

THE number of teenagers patronising drinking places such as bars in Zambia is worrying and surely something must be done to avert the situation, especially the Covid-19 outbreak. It has become a common trend for the teenagers as young as 14 years to abuse alcohol with impunity.

Both boys and girls are involved in the scourge of alcohol abuse. The problem is most common in the compounds such as George, John Laing, Kanyama and Misisi, among others.

Besides abusing alcohol, these teenagers abuse drugs and other substances which are detrimental to their health.

When these teenagers get intoxicated, they resort to illicit activities like unprotected sex which puts them at high risk of contracting the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV and AIDS.

The boys become violent and attack unsuspecting members of the public and steal their valuables such as phones and wallets for instance. This is not right.

It has been said that the youths of today are the future leaders. Looking at the current crop of youths and in view of their bad behaviour, they cannot make good leaders.

Moving forward, the law enforcers should intensify the patrolling of the drinking places on days they are allowed to open and apprehend the culprits.

On the other hand, the owners of these drinking places should be arrested for allowing the underage to patronise the drinking places.

The local authority should intensify the by law which bars the underage from patronising the drinking places. All said and done, teenagers patronising the drinking places and abusing alcohol is degradation of morals. This should be halted by stiffening the by law on the uncouth behaviour among the teenagers who abuse alcohol.

ELEMIYA ,Lusaka.