Sunday News (Zimbabwe)

Let’s stop pointing fingers

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know of a lot of my peers who are fixated in the latest drug “series” not because they are escaping from pain but, doing it for fun.

Many will agree that on weekends night clubs in the city are a hive, with school going children disguised as adults.

I would not want to use the word “They” in reference to some of us who abuse drugs. “We” are a part of it.

We go there to fit in and be mischievou­s for fun. We, the young people, find it mandatory to take drugs as it symbolises a sign of maturity to them.

Drug and alcohol abuse has become a hobby to young people. It is not a choice, a well calculated one that a Form 3 girl steals their parents’ money to go buy crystal meth at the corner of some street in the Central Business District?

On a Friday, the crystal meth drug is shared amongst friends. This is done away from the public eye.

While we can say some causes are peer pressure, unnecessar­y experiment­s and society at large, we as young people ought to stop and rethink.

Let us share this experience and talk. As the truth comes out, we can mend ourselves and start living well.

Pointing fingers at anything to shift the blame is absurd. This I say to my fellow youngsters that let us talk the truth and shun the devil. We all have a friend or two who goes to a Vuzu party every weekend. We have that one friend who buys a stash of drug powder now and then.

But, do we ever try to talk them out. It starts from there I think. Of course some members of our society practice ill behaviours in front of children. Must we follow that route and later play the blame game. Certainly no!

Change is within. Take this into considerat­ion young people, there will come a time when the call for help is not heard. Tell that friend to stop using cocaine and drinking alcoholic spirits.

I have already started in talking to one junkie old friend of mine. He was hooked in inhaling glue, taking painkiller tablets and drinking alcohol. Funny thing is, he started when he was 15 years of age. At 18, he looks well like a 40-year-old man.

Does it ring a bell? He had a choice and has no one to blame, the way forward is to help a friend and a peer come back to his senses. If only we tell each other these stories that some of us will heal.

In a nutshell we cannot keep on pointing fingers at each other. We still have time to mend the future of our drug addicted generation. The road to the drug lord’s house is littered with potholes. Let us find other sources of fun.

In the meantime, let me go check how my old friend is rehabilita­ting. Stop raising that hand to blame society on our moral decay. The solution lies with us. What do you think?

Linda Sibanda is an Upper Sixth learner at Honours Academy in Entumbane

Learners are encouraged to contribute to this column, which is part of the Zimpapers Junior Media Club. Send your articles to: youthzone@gmail.com or editor@ sundaynews.co.zw

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