Editor,

I wonder whether the war against illicit brews and narcotics is going as successfully as everyone wants. Hardly a week passes without a headline revealing that Rwandans, especially in rural areas, are still imbibing and smoking these illegal substances.

Yesterday, it was reported in TNT that Police in Gatunda sector, Nyagatare on Thursday destroyed illegal local brew and marijuana worth Rwf1.5 million. The article reports that police destroyed 360 liters of local brew commonly known as ‘Kanyanga, 15 cartons of Chief Waragi and two kilograms of marijuana

I think that the ‘apprehend and arrest’ approach used by the police (although commendable) should be in tandem with a sensitization program that targets those people that are most susceptible to substances like these.

Here I mean people like students and those who don’t understand the ill effects of these illicit substances. That way the Police will not only fight the symptoms but also the causes. Remove the demand for  drugs and the supply will dwindle.

Jessica Mukasine
Nyagatare