OPPOSITION Mkoba South legislator John Kuka (Citizens Coalition for Change) has expressed concern over abuse of drugs by primary schoolchildren, calling for concerted effort to curb the menace.
In an interview with Southern Eye yesterday, Kuka said he was shocked to learn that primary school pupils in his constituency were abusing drugs.
He said he recently assessed the condition of schools in the constituency and was shocked when authorities at one primary school told him of how pupils as young as Grade 3 level learners were abusing drugs.
“When people talk of drug and substance abuse at that level, you think, well maybe it just happens next door, but when you come face-to-face with such a scenario, you realise the need for concerted effort to stop drug and substance abuse among young people in our communities,” Kuka said.
“As stakeholders, we should move into schools, churches among other institutions and carry out massive awareness campaigns on drugs.”
The legislator said it was disheartening that unscrupulous drug peddlers were introducing drugs to children as young as eight years old.
“In most cases people in our communities know these drug peddlers yet they choose to keep quiet. Let us report them to the police and we also urge our police to play an active role in arresting drug peddlers,” he said.
Officer commanding Gweru Urban Chief Superintendent Enock Chishiri recently revealed that between January and September this year, Gweru urban policing district nabbed 148 drug peddlers, including 42 drug lords.
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Chishiri, however, commended the community for its efforts in combating drug and substance abuse and urged people to utilise suggestion boxes, among other available platforms, to report drug dealers.
