18 Jun 2018

 Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Bogolo Kenewendo  says an understanding of the economic costs of drug abuse is necessary to develop policies that will assist in reducing drug abuse. 

Contributing  on the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances bill debate in Parliament on June 15, Ms Kenewendo said drug abuse inflict immeasurable harm on the country’s economy.

Ms Kenewendo said there was correlation between drug abuse and slow productivity in the work place, which ultimately affects the economic growth.

She said the country’s economy was affected by the devastating consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking such as health and the upsurge in crime and society fabrics.

Therefore, Ms Kenewendo said the bill was timely since drug abuse was a concern in the country,  more so that it was sweeping through the youth, from whom a lot was expected as future leaders. 

She said the easy accessibility of drugs at schools was a major cause for concern, calling for government to promptly address the malady.

Such easy accessibility of drugs to the youth, she said was a threat to the county’s moral fibers that for years has been the pinnacle of the nation.

Minister Kenewendo pleaded with the justice system to review drug offenders’ verdicts and tighten the grip so that they could be deterrent measures on drug dealing and trafficking.

She also advocated for the establishment of drug rehabilitation centres that would not only rehabilitate addicts, but would also focus on public education.

Mmember of Parliament for Tonota, Mr Thapelo Olopeng emphasised the role that culture and traditional upbringing could play on curbing drug abuse.

Mr Olopeng highlighted that teenagers who were taught the dangers of drug use at home were less likely to use drugs as they ‘believe that they would lose the trust and respect of their parents’.

Certainly, he said the entertainment world’s glorification of drugs and alcohol contributed to the curiosity in young minds that led some youth to experiment. 

Presenting  the Bill, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi  said the objective of the Bill was to domesticate the United Nations Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which was signed in 1988.

He added the Bill also sought to criminalise all drug-related offenses.

The Bill, he said, intended to provide strong legislations to address drug trafficking and abuse through adopting measures to criminalise drug-related offenses under domestic law in conformity with Article 3 of the UN convention. ENDS