Why drug abuse remains major challenge to youth

Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a disorder that is characterised by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to significant problems or distress.

Prevalence of drug use among young people is more than twice as high as drug use among the general population; three times as high in the case of cannabis.

Much more needs to be done to provide young people with the skills,
information and opportunities to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Drug addiction involves all layers of the society in the majority of countries of the world. And unfortunately Tanzania is no exception. Although drugs are used everywhere, including small towns, it is in the large cities that injecting of heroin is more prevalent.

The world drug problem continues to be a serious threat to public health, the safety and well-being of humanity, in particular young people, the national security and sovereignity of the nation, and it undermines socio-economic and political stability and sustainable development.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam recently during the launch of iEmpower project, the National Director of Youth Development Department in the ministry of information, youth, culture and sports James Kajugusi said drug abuse has become a major challenge to the Tanzanian youth, society and government economically and in health.

“Youth between the ages of 15-35 years (around 35.4 per cent) in our society are the most affected people.”

He said the Tanzanian youth are the main producers, and they are the ones who run the economy in almost all sectors.

According to Kajugusi, 80 per cent engaging in agriculture are the youth. “If we don’t prohibit our youth from consuming drugs, which minimises their physical stability and instigates HIV, they will fade away, and if that manpower is weakened, that means there would be no economic, social and individual development. 
“Without serious and joint concerted efforts from all members of the Tanzanian community to arrest the situation, the youth who comprises 68 per cent of the nation’s manpower will be doomed,” he insisted.

“This is an area which the government, key stakeholders and other non-actors should join hands to work on,” he urged.
He further noted that the use of drugs has caused a lot of problems and misunderstandings among family.

For his part, the Director and producer of MAA MEDIA centre Lekoko Furaha said that iEmpower project which is being supported by National Bank of Commerce (NBC), intends to help the unemployed youth to avoid the consumption of harmful substances.

“Maa Media believes that every man has the ability to improve and adopt himself as may be necessary to overcome obstacles in life,” he said.
Therefore, the iEmpower project is meant to give the youth a platform to present their business ideas together with learning new business skills that will influence their lives in future.

He further retaliated that iEmpower’s main objective is to help in the elimination of drug abuse especially to the group of youth that are not exposed to the action yet.

He said by training them, it will make it easier for them to build their future and have skills to train other youth who are either exposed to drug abuse or not.                                 
Participants of the iEmpower project who will come–up with eligible business ideas will be given equipment boost to help their business dreams come true.
He noted that youth participating in training will be attending a one week camp training on the iEmpower academy in Bagamoyo.

After a successful one week training, he said the delegates will get award certificates to reward them and celebrate their achievements and contributions towards the furtherance of the iEmpower project objectives.

The result of the programme would be a Tanzania that is free from rehabilitating effects of toxic and other harmful substances and inhabited by self reliant, self –empowering communities comprised of influential grassroots leaders and agents of positive societal change.
Maa Media believes that every man has the ability to improve and adopt himself as may be necessary to overcome obstacles in life.
Therefore, the iEmpower project is meant to give the youth a platform to present their business ideas together with learning new business skills that will influence their future lives.
“iEmpower’s main objective is to help in the elimination of drug abuse especially to the group of youth that are not exposed to the action yet.”

By training them, it will make it easier for them to build their future and have skills to train other youth who are either exposed to drug abuse or not.

For her part, the Acting Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs with the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) Rukia Mtingwa said that the bank has agreed to support MMC because its mission of preventing Tanzanian youth from engaging in drug abuse had impressed the bank.

“We saw as a viable project because our bank also puts more priority on how to develop the youth who in turn would bring greater development to the nation.”

Mtingwa further said NBC’s objective in that project was not to support them economically, but rather to economically boost them and be able to live peacefully.

“It is our bank’s strategy to collaborate with different NGOs like Maa Media to ensure the youth are economically boosted by teaching them entrepreneurial skills, which will be useful after campsite cause.”

She said if those Tanzanian youth were economically empowered they will stop from consuming drugs and fully engage in their entrepreneurships for their only development and that of their nation.

Findings reveal that the number of drug addicts who seek treatment at drug rehabilitation centres in the country had increased to 200,000 in 2011.
The Drug Control Commission (DCC) Report (2011) states that the actual number of drug addicts in general is estimated to be between 150,000 and 500,000 nationwide. Young people are more susceptible to drug use.

Several efforts such as those of Tanzania AIDS Prevention Programme (TAPP) and Médecins du Monde (MDM) or Doctors of the World, to mention a few provide young people and others with tools to inform themselves about the health risks associated with illicit drug use.

In Tanzania drug abuse remains a huge driving factor behind the high crime rates in major towns.