Editor,

RE: "Northern Province rolls out anti-drug abuse campaign” (The New Times, August 24).

For the past months I have been following events in Manila, Philippine related to the "Oplan Rody” operation on drugs. I would not wish for any country to become a slave of drug abuse to that level. The term drug abuse is being phased out as people abuse substance; this widens the fight beyond the assumed magnitude.

Through generations the abuse of different forms of drugs gets into societies and wipes them out. These are used as stimuli with claims of brain or strength enhancement, beliefs I strongly refute. Human brain is the distinctive attribute (asset) that differentiates man from other creatures and that’s why it should be safely protected and jealously guarded.

The highest form of security one should ever get is that type within oneself, security of the mind or a peaceful mind. All abused substances erode this from the abuser.

If I can reflect on what I said referring to brains as precious assets, one should be able to recall that as wealth can be stolen the same is for brains. Abusing drugs/substances should be regarded as brain robbery and theft.

I don’t know how far my call can go but I call upon every responsible Rwandan to join this campaign. It should not be left only to the security and administrative authorities alone. If we pay both a blind eye and a deaf ear to this scourge we are definitely going to reap bitter fruits.

Don’t ask ‘’how” for we all know very well the negative impacts of substance abuse: a spike in crimes like rape, armed robbery, even terrorism, to mention but a few.

These won’t steal, rape or terrorise from a distance, they will operate from nearby and we shall fall victims to these yet we would have pulled up the roots of the bad tree before it flowered.

My humble appeal goes to the youths who have been sighted into these acts, some used as traffickers, sellers and consumers, we still need you. A nation that is deprived of its young stars has no future, Rwanda was there before, it is here and shall always be there.

Avoid peer groups for they tend to ignite these habits and try as well to be hopeful of better things in the future.

Drug/substance abuse is the sweet serial killer of modern times. Let us as well think of a master plan to help those who turn in for proper rehabilitation as we shall need each other in the struggle to develop our country.

Khassim Bizimungu