Healthy Living : Alcohol, Drugs and your health

Gone are the days when men were men and women were proud of their men! Hey what happened to men being gentlemen and women being ladies? I read of Amy Winehouse’s death in regret early this week. This is one young lady who had a voice to sing and a gift to write beautiful songs of which I am a big fan. But unfortunately this young talented woman’s life was cut short by years of addiction to alcohol and drug abuse.It has become a common sight in bars seeing people abusing alcohol, contrary to what alcohol is meant for. Little is known about how drug abuse starts. Like Amy Winehouse, it always starts with one drink, then it reaches a point where that drink no longer helps and that is when people graduate to hard stuff. While many of us cherish the time we have when taking a glass of wine every once in while, others are busy destroying their lives by abusing alcohol and other drug substances. A few weeks ago a campaign against drug abuse was launched and our youth made me proud by turning up in large numbers at the Amaharo national stadium where I was also in attendance. We were entertained to music and a very interesting drama from the students of Kigali Institute of Education about the consequences alcohol and drug abuse. After show, a young man gave his testimony about being involved in selling of the drugs (by the way the leaders in the police force who were present were very happy because they were enlightened on how drugs are smuggled in). Well fortunately for this young man he realised what he was doing and decided to quit this dirty game and now he is on his way to a prestigious University abroad.I have seen what drugs can do to a person. Recently during one of my trips to the town where I was born and raised, I decided to visit my old neighbourhood out of curiosity and to visit my old friends and neighbours who were our family back then. I went from house to house greeting our old friends and neighbours but was saddened by the fact that most young men and women whom I grew up with were either in rehabilitation centres or had died due to abuse of alcohol and drugs. I kept on counting the losses until I could bear no more and decided to leave without going through another nightmare.Some weeks later, I saw a documentary on men and women who are recovering in rehabilitation centres from years of alcohol and drug abuse. These people were once family men and women, happily married and others successful business owners, but drugs got in their way and ruined everything that they had built for years. I was also very impressed and proud of our government when I saw a group of young men who had just graduated from our very own Iwawa correctional centre and were looking forward to an even brighter future. Abusing alcohol and drugs is both harmful to our health and lives. We have seen what abuse of these substances can do to people. Some homes have been wrecked because of alcohol and drugs. Parents have endured so much with their children abusing these substances, wrong decisions have been made, other people have lost their jobs due to abuse of alcohol and drugs, but even worse is that abuse of alcohol and drugs can eventually lead to death. For a healthy lifestyle let us say no to abuse of alcohol and drugs. Kayitesius@yahoo.com

Lifestyle

Healthy Living : Alcohol, Drugs and your health