31 Jan 2017

Alcohol and drug abuse is said to be rampant in Kgalagadi South and Botswana at large.

Speaking during a youth consultative forum on alcohol and drug abuse by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development in Tsabong recently, principal programmes officer, Mr Mpilo Mbo said that alcohol and drug abuse was one of the leading issues that affect people of Kgalagadi South, especially the youth and it needs to be addressed.

Mr Mbo said that alcohol and drug abuse had gruesome consequences, not only on users, but also on the people they relate with and on Botswana as a whole. He therefore called upon youth to develop self-discipline and refrain from abusing alcohol.

He also called upon them to collectively come up with ways on how best they can deal with the problem of alcohol and drug abuse.

For his part, health education officer at Tsabong Primary Hospital, Mr Bonny Dikwii said that while abusers of alcohol and drugs take them in the belief that they will bring feelings of enhanced well being and pleasure, all drugs come with serious dangers and health risks, including the possibility of a physical addiction.

Alcohol and other drugs consumption can become habit-forming and lead to a physical addiction. Addicts bodies become used to consuming large amounts of alcohol and or drugs that they cannot function normally when they are not consuming those substances,” he explained.

He said that alcohol and drug abuse has physical effects, which include liver disorders, loss of memory from brain damage, various types of cancer, high blood pressure and many more.ENDS