Battle To Combat Drug Abuse Intensifies
Unfortunately, history has shown that this is a fallacy; drugs impair the body in numerous ways, hence deterring the user from doing anything fruitful in life. In short, not only will you be abusing the drug, but also you will be endangering yourself by taking drugs illegally.
“People take drugs because they want to change something about their lives. They think drugs are a solution. But eventually, the drugs become the problem. Difficult as it may be to face one’s problems, the consequences of drug use are always worse than the problem one is trying to solve with them. The real answer is to get the facts and not take drugs in the first place.” (The Truth About Drugs: 2009; 6)
A random survey by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, Bulawayo based volunteer, Tish Di Prinzio, revealed that there is drastic drug abuse in Bulawayo’s schools and communities.
“The problem with these drugs is that you only need to use them only once and you are addicted. I have volunteered to spearhead this campaign because I have love for the people and I am very concerned about the well being of the members of our society,” said Tish.
The Foundation for a Drug-free World is an international organisation that advocates for the education of the negative effects that drug abuse has on people. It is headquartered in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America. This organisation operates the world over with the assistance of volunteers who are equipped with literature for distribution and the necessary know-how to impart to the world.
The research also established that marijuana and glue are the drugs of choice for the majority of abusers in Bulawayo who are of school-going age. She said that she discovered that there is a lot of drug abuse that is going on without the knowledge of parents. She also said that this revelation comes as a red-alert for parents.
Tish emphasized the importance of educating young people about the dangers of drug abuse saying; if children are taught and therefore aware, they would be more likely to shun the deadly habit and thus assist in bringing about the much needed success of any such campaign.
“My goal is to distribute the Drug-Free World booklets to each and every young person in Bulawayo. We also need to get the booklets to their parents as well because, when a person knows the truth about drugs, they can make informed decisions as to whether to experiment or not to take the risk at all,” she said in an in-depth interview at the ZDDT offices recently.
Statistics have shown that, when parents discuss with and educate their children about the impact of drug abuse, there is a reduction of at least 40 percent in the number of child users.
“What the parents need to know is that there are drugs around. I made a very sad discovery that marijuana is very cheap. It is even cheaper than a loaf of bread and that is very discouraging and frightening,” she said.
As the survey established that one of the most abused drugs in the city is marijuana, this reporter chose to delve deeper into the effects of this drug on the lives and minds of local people. The reporter found out that the worst effect of taking marijuana is that it leads to the abuse of other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and heroine, which are much stronger and more lethal. Recent media reports reveal research that suggests significant brain
damage in youth.
The short-term effects include the “loss of coordination and distortions in the sense of time, vision and hearing, sleepiness, reddening of the eyes, increased appetite and relaxed muscles. Heart rate can speed up. In fact, in the first hour of smoking marijuana, a user’s risk of heart attack could increase fivefold.”
In the long run, marijuana use “can cause psychotic symptoms. It can also damage the lungs and the heart, worsen the symptoms of bronchitis and cause coughing and wheezing. It may reduce the body’s ability to fight lung infections and illness.”
It is however pertinent for parents to understand that marijuana is not the only drug that is being abused. There are other habitual tendencies such as glue sniffing and alcohol abuse. All these have a negative impact in the children’s schoolwork and life in general.
As a way of raising the bar in the anti-drug abuse campaign, Tish is working hand in glove with the drug division in the Zimbabwe Republic Police force. These stakeholders will conduct a “Say No To Drugs” campaign on the 22nd of September 2012.
“I have already distributed over 30 000 “The Truth About Drugs” booklets around schools in the city. To intensify this campaign, we will be conducting a march, with the Bulawayo Junior City Council, on the 22nd of this month. We would like to urge people to come in their large numbers and support the movement. The Drug squad Police Officers will be marching with us as well,” she said.