By Chrissie Mainjeni, Chiradzulu
Drug and substance abuse continue to rise among the youth in the country and Chiradzulu District is not spared either.
Every morning by 7, 25-year-old Clement Phiri (not his real name) is already down and out, drunk. In the company of his friends, he is at Shire Market close to Chiradzulu District Hospital, drinking to a stupor and smoking marijuana to escape what he describes as life challenges.
“After finishing my Form Four, I was geared to conquer the world with my dreams of studying accounting, but this never materialised due to a lack of financial support from my parents,” he said.
“Job opportunities are scarce. I became frustrated and resorted to drinking and smoking, but I am still hopeful that one day luck would be on my side,” he explained.
Phiri’s story is just the tip of the iceberg of other young people who indulge in the malpractice due to financial challenges, as observed by Chiradzulu District Youth Network Chairperson Bright Halala.
He estimates that at least 60 percent of youth in the district engage in excessive drinking or cannabis smoking, a behaviour he describes as “worrying and retrogressive.”
He said normally perpetrators commit serious crimes such as rape, theft and suicide.
“To mitigate the problem, we conduct sensitisation meetings and encourage the youth to venture into farming or small-scale businesses for sustainability,” he said.
He appealed to the government to expedite the rollout of the K100 million Youth Enterprise Fund loans in all constituencies.
District Youth Officer, Shamim Chabwera, admitted the existence of the problem, singling out Nguludi Turn Off, Yasin and Thomas trading centres as some of the hotspots.
He revealed that 51 cases of attempted suicide linked to alcoholism, drug abuse, and marital issues have been recorded this year alone.
However, he said his office is conducting training sessions on mental health and wellness, linking the youth with financial lending institutions such as the National Economic Empowerment Fund, as well as working closely with community leaders to keep the young generation busy and sustainable.
Chiradzulu Police Officer in Charge (OC), Henry Kalungu, said on average, they record between 8 to 10 related cases in a month, citing suicide, theft, murder, rape and fighting as some of them.
Although such cases happen sporadically, the OC said they routinely convene outreach meetings in schools and trading centres through Community Policing, to ensure that young people are spared from such malpractices.
Nelson Zakeyu, Executive Director of Drug Fight Malawi, described the situation as a national tragedy.
He linked the problem to the absence of the National Drug Control Policy, which is still in draft form.
Zakeyu appealed to Capital Hill to finalise the policy to control the sale of alcohol and drugs.
“There is also a need to provide evidence-based information to young people on the consequences of abusing drugs and substances because most of them do not know what is at stake. Above all, as a people, let us protect the young ones,” he said.
