Some of drugs used and abused by children and youth include marijuana, alcohol, heroine, cocaine and mandrax.
There are a number of social and
psychological problems related to drug use and abuse; however this
feature focuses on the critical mass of young people especially
students, whose involvement with drug abuse threatens the very fabric of
social well-being.
Commission for Drug Control in the
country, has mentioned the significant increase of youths especially
students in drug trafficking as amongst the main reason for the
expansion of the drug trade in the country.
Recently in an exclusive interview with
this paper in Dar es Salaam, Commissioner for Drug Control Christopher
Shekiondo says that illicit drug trade is gradually emerging as a
serious problem in the country due to the fact that youths especially
students are seem to be targeted as the new market for the drug industry
globally.
“There are numbers of social factors which
influences or make students most vulnerable to drug use and abuse. Some
of the factors are related to the developmental needs, peer pressure,
family discord and disruption and poor social and coping skills,’’
“Children and young people with limited,
poor or no coping skills may develop destructive coping mechanisms for
problem solving, anger, depression or conflict management. This may
include experimenting or binging with drugs,’’ he says
However, it has to be borne in mind that
illicit drug industry in the country seem to be well organized, have
sophisticated and persuasive marketing and publicity strategies, do
their research meticulously on the consumption patterns and establishing
new markets and developing high-tech modes of transporting illicit
drugs.
Beside the threat of increasing
consumption amongst children and students, Tanzania is becoming a major
trans-shipment point in the international drug trade as well as a major.
The problem is also become threat to the stability and sustained socio
economic development initiatives in the country.
Glue sniffing is popular within the age
range of less than 10 years to about 13 school going and street
children. Drug and substance abuse amongst the children and students is
attributed to social pressures, socio-economic uncertainties,
vulnerability of children (street children, child labor).
According to Shekiondo, in the country
children and students use drugs for the same reasons as adults and youth
in other parts of the world. They use drugs for relaxation and fun;
dealing with inhibition; coping with pressure and frustration; to
relieve stress and anxiety or pain; and to overcome boredom.
“These young people may later, in their
late teens and early adulthood use harder drugs like heroin and cocaine.
They maybe more frequently involved in criminal activities that should
generate income to feed the habit or the addiction.
“Bad enough the uses of some of the drugs like marijuana are gradually perceived as acceptable norms in society.” He says
According to him the issue of drugs and
youth should be viewed and tackled in relation to a number of social,
economic, cultural and political factors. Any intervention, process or
plan cannot be treated in isolation of other factors.
Like most young people the Tanzanian
youths give very little consideration to the harm done by the use of
drugs. In some instances drugs have been cited as the cause of death
Studies show that some of the crimes
committed by young people are frequently a result of the need for the
money to support their drug habits and addictions.
It is therefore not surprising that
children and youth in some of the rehabilitative programs in the country
have behavioral problems in the school system or are mandated by the
criminal justice to be in the programs. Children and young people in
poor or materially deprived communities are therefore more vulnerable to
drug use or other socially unacceptable behaviors related to drugs and
substance abuse.
However, Shekiondo adds that following the
situation his commission as committed itself to overcome the challenge
and according to him that is why recently there is an increase in
arrests of suspects of the trade in the country.
“People should know that the ongoing drug
trafficking cases are being reported because there are efforts which are
being made to detect an arrest the suspected drug dealers if not so
even the reports were not heard and people would think that there is no
problem,’’ he says.
Further, he urges parents and guardians in
the country that “Working parents should save time to supervise their
children’s behaviors as most of them leaving children with grossly
inadequate adult supervision.’’
Studies show that in countries where drug
education and substance abuse prevention are part of social policies
drug use tends to be low (Japan, China, Norway, Scotland ).
In other words governments should generate
and support policies that allow people to achieve their goals in life;
promote education and health, individual growth opportunities, financial
security, investment in human capital and distribution of common
citizen wealth. These kinds of policies can reduce the social costs of
escaping poverty and lack of opportunity through drugs.
Generally, if we share the belief that
children and young people especially students are a precious asset for
human population and future human capital, we need to invest our
intellect, social resources and a range of resources in nurturing them
and protecting them against two of the deadly social conditions of the
21st century, HIV/AIDS and Drugs.
This will be in the interest of long-term
benefits for the socio economic agenda globally. There are no easy
solutions to the challenges posed by drug abuse and HIV/AIDS,
particularly amongst children and young people as the most vulnerable
groups of the population.
The complexity of these two issues
requires careful and non-emotive planning and intervention. They may
change the face and character of our human services, educational and
social institutions.
Important view is that the interventions,
processes and strategies are not necessarily the absolute responsibility
of the government. However the governments in the name of social
development should continue to take the lead in creating policy
environments that facilitate appropriate intervention, provide resources
and national infrastructures, and research funding and accountability
systems.
Civil society structures face the
challenges of creating and sustaining effective delivery mechanisms that
are collaborative, multi-faceted, preventive and remedial in character.
The family in particular should seriously re-examine its role and
responsibility as a socializing and nurturing agent.
The family as an institution is breaking
down; on the other hand, it is continually cited as one of the powerful
agents of social change and social support system in most clinical
interventions.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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