Johannes Marisa

IT is unfortunate that the world continues to lose many people due to drug abuse and if the situation continues, more lives are going to be lost. There are over 190 million drug users around the world and the problem has been escalating at an alarming rate especially among young adults under the age of 30.

Medical experts estimate that illicit drug use is directly and indirectly responsible for over 750 000 deaths per year with over 166 000 people dying from drug overdose every year, opioids being responsible for a greater number of overdoses from illicit drugs.

Zimbabwe has not been spared as all sorts of substances have been used ranging from sodium polyarylate from diapers to crystal methamphetamine commonly known as mutoriro, cannabis (mbanje), pethidine, morphine, broncho, kachasu, tumbwa, saints (gologo) et cetera.

The rate of abuse is alarming especially among the youths with substance-induced mental illnesses on the increase. Parirenyatwa Hospital on average attends to 800 cases of mental illnesses attributed to substance abuse every month.

The most painful thing is that budding professionals, college students, high school students and even those who come from affluent suburbs are major victims. We need to protect our country from drug abuse lest our children also become victims.

Contributors to drug abuse

So many reasons have been given for abusing drugs. The drugs that are commonly abused are usually psychoactive ones that are used by people for treatment of various health problems.

Below are some of the reasons for drug abuse: