Sunday News (Zimbabwe)

Truck drivers fuelling substance abuse

- Sharon Chimenya Masvingo Correspond­ent

ZIMBABWE has the highest number of teenagers in Africa who engage in heavy episodic drinking, a situation that stakeholde­rs are fighting amid revelation­s that some cross-border truck drivers have been fingered for fuelling drug and substance abuse.

The drivers are accused of smuggling illegal substances and selling them at truck inns. The revelation­s came out at a meeting in Masvingo recently where concerns were raised on the availabili­ty of cheap drugs on the streets that were being sold to young people who abuse them. It was noted that some of the drugs are allegedly being sold by truck drivers.

Director of Social Developmen­t in the Ministry of Labour, Public Services and Social Welfare Mr Tawanda Zimhunga said drug lords and drug syndicates in neighbouri­ng countries were using the Zimbabwean corridor to traffic their drugs to other countries making the country vulnerable to drug abuse. He said Zimbabwe had the highest number of 15–19-year-olds in Africa who engage in heavy episodic drinking with 70.7 percent being males and 55.5 percent females.

“According to research, Zimbabwe has the highest number of 15 to 19-year-olds in Africa who engage in heavy episodic drinking with 70.7 percent being males and 55.5 percent females. A myriad of factors have been attributed to the abuse of drugs and substance abuse which include availabili­ty. There are drugs that are being trafficked into other countries through Zimbabwe and a transit country becomes a consumptio­n country.

He said that crystal meth, cocaine, cannabis, heroin, glue, skin lighteners, alcohol, sex enhancers and cough mixtures such as histalix and broncleer, body enlargemen­ts, illicit beverages such as musombodhi­ya were classified as the most abused drugs in the country and their availabili­ty in the country at a low cost was a cause for concern.

In a speech read on his behalf, Great Zimbabwe University Vice-Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo said data from police has shown that from January to July this year about 2 618 people were arrested of which 1 976 were males while 642 were females in drug related crimes. Of these 2 061 were above 35 years while 870 were below 35.

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