Parents urged to help fight drug use

Parents have been urged to pay more attention to their home life in order to curb the menace of drug use amongst the youth that has soared in Botswana.

The call was made by the Minister of Defence and Security, Kagiso Mmusi, at the anti-drug publicity campaign that was held in Maun on Friday to plead with parents to help fight the scourge before the country loses its future leaders to drugs and substance abuse.

“If we do not act today, we will certainly lose our future leaders to these vices, resulting in a burden on the health system and increased crime. Drug abuse is a behavioural problem. Parents should re-channel [their energies into] how they want their children to behave,” he said.

“The statistics generated by the Botswana Police Service (BPS) based on the number of arrests of suspects further uncovers the magnitude of the problem of drugs that is ravaging our nation. Police recorded 1,232 cases of drugs in 2023 and arrested 1,784 people, of which 116 amongst them were those aged 10 to 19 years old.”

Mmusi further stated that the 2023 World Drug Report indicates that the number of people who used drugs in the world in 2021 stood at 296 million, a whooping increase of 23% over the last decade. He added that the same report further indicates that 27% of people under the age of 25 were in treatment for drug use in Africa.

“These results are quite disturbing as far as they relate to Africa and its youth. Let me, therefore, hasten to observe that the youth form a vital percentage of our population and their roles and activities are fundamental in translating the goals of any community and for the purpose of our gathering, Maun’s goals are achievable through its youth. Moreover, the youth are the strength of any given nation,” Mmusi added.

The minister said it is on the strength of these observations that efforts are being made to minimise any harm to Batswana, especially the youth.

He went on to acknowledge the efforts and commitment made by First Lady, Neo Masisi, who together with other stakeholders have embarked on a mission to reverse the social ills affecting society, particularly gender-based violence, HIV and AIDS infections and drug abuse.

“The First Lady’s continued rally and campaigns, abhorring the abuse of children in whatever form, under the famous tagline ‘E seng mo ngwaneng’ is an enormous contribution to our nation. “Equally, efforts and interventions from other stakeholders including dikgosi, church leaders, health care workers, public servants and the general community are commendable in guiding our youth from abstaining from behaviours that lead to harm. The government is also highly committed to protecting its people from the ravaging drug scourge,” he said.

Mmusi noted that by committing to arm itself against the raging war of illicit drug trafficking and use, Botswana continues to put in place robust legislative and policy measures to combat this rage.

“Botswana enacted the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2018, which also established the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) under my Ministry, mandated to combat and eliminate the illicit production and supply of, demand for and traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of human beings and adversely affects the economic, cultural and political foundations of society. I am therefore pleading with the youth to say no to drugs,” he said.