Drug abuse higher among minors than adults-Minister

The use of illicit drugs amongst children aged below 15 years has reached alarming levels with 50 percent of current cases involving minors, the Minister of Youth told Senators. Protais Mitali made the stunning revelations while appearing before Senate to provide government position on a damning report released by the senatorial adhoc committee that was set up to unearth details of drug abuse in the country. The committee chaired by Sen. Valens Munyabagisha said drug abuse especially amongst minors had risen. He said that setting up the committee was prompted by several complaints concerning increased drug use in the country. Mitali almost concurred with the Senate findings but insisted government had taken the fight against this vice as a key priority among its youth related programs. “Current statistics indicate that 50 percent of drug users are children under the age of 15,” minister Mitali said. “This is a worrying record because figures also show that another 30 percent of drug users are aged between 15 and 20 years.” He added that 15 percent are aged 20 and 25 while the remaining 5 percent are adults above 25. The Minister said the drugs were mainly from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Munyabagisha who tabled the initial report said the districts of Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, Nyagatare and Rubavu recorded the biggest drug abusers in that descending order. “This means that there is much use of drugs within the city and in the two districts that borders Uganda and DR Congo,” Munyabagisha revealed. He condemned government for failure to come up with concrete records on levels of drug use within the country insisting that the vice was on the increase. “I agree with the report, but I also want to insist that within our priorities now is to uproot this problem amongst our youth,” Mitali said. He said plans were underway to coordinate elimination of this problem from a regional level with a proposed regional pact on drug trafficking in the offing. His idea of a regional pact was backed by several Senators who requested that the House approves its final draft. Senator Beatrice Mukabaranga proposed a detoxification and a rehabilitation centre that would help people who are using or who were drug addicts. Senators also proposed an amendment on the law against drug use to tighten measures on offendors. The current law set a maximum prison sentence of 3 year with a maximum fine of Rwf250, 000. Ends

National

Drug abuse higher among minors than adults-Minister