22 May 2017

 For alcohol and drug abuse to be brought to an end, all stakeholders must work together.

When speaking during the anti-doping workshop on Saturday organised by Rasesa Dutch Reformed Church Congregation in Rasesa, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ms Rebaone Rauwe said education played a critical role in dissemination of information to curb alcohol and drug abuse in Botswana.

Ms Rauwe commended the church for coming up with the initiative to educate the youth and empowering them with skills that would help them know the dangers of engaging in alcohol and drug abuse.

She said alcohol and drug abuse were among the highest statistics of death in Botswana which continued to destroy the lives of young Batswana who were the future of the country.

The assistant commissioner said as Botswana Police they were worried at the rampant use of drugs among Batswana especially that they had cases before them of those who were caught selling or using drugs.

Ms Rauwe said drugs were there in different forms but the most common ones which was also popular in use was marijuana , adding the drug was harmful as it could lead to mental loss.

She said the youth who were usually hooked into drugs started by testing it while others were introduced to them by parents who sold to them and ended up being addicted to drugs.

She implored the congregation and students to work together with the police to secure a better environment safe from drug peddlers.

She added that some people who were into drugs talked in gibberish, changeed movement, behavior and saw things which were not there.

Ms Rauwe further said use of drugs made someone younger look much older because the body was not made for the intake of drugs that destroyed body parts.

The assistant commissioner said usually people who did drugs ended up stealing things from home to make money and buy drugs because they were expensive.

She said alcohol and drugs were highly associated with crime and those who engaged in them were mostly the youth who ended up having their lives cut short.

Ms Rauwe said a teenager who had been well behaved may suddenly change and start missing school, becomes emotionally volatile or hostile and frequently borrow money.  

She also said gender based violence had been noted to have been perpetuated by alcohol and drug abuse leading to unstable homes and divorces which affected children at home.

She therefore encouraged parents to guide their children and exercise parental control so that they knew what their children were doing.

Ms Rauwe said if communities did not undertake education so that people knew the effects of drug abuse, it might lead to difficult times for the country.

Reverend Copper Sekate of the Dutch Reformed Church said the objectives of the workshop were to educate the youth about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and share skills with them on how to avoid them.

He said as a church they had to play a role in shaping a better community which fears God and did the right things.

Rev Sekate said he believed that if they worked together with the police and Ministry of health ministry to educate the community, they could combat drug abuse challenges and many lives would be saved.
“It is the responsibility of us all to take a step and educate others to know the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.”

Rev Sekate said from the workshop they would take another step to form anti-doping clubs in the community where people could meet and share information.

He said the partnership with the police and health ministry would go a long way in helping to roll-out programmes geared at stopping these abuses.BOPA