Students under anti-drug abuse clubs in secondary schools and universities and administrators from various schools in the country have blamed indiscipline cases in schools on drugs.The remarks were made on Sunday during a one day workshop on drug abuse held at Kigali Institute of Education (KIE).The workshop was organised by the Rwanda Initiative against Drug Abuse and Related crimes (RIDARC), an umbrella of anti-drug abuse clubs in secondary schools and universities.The body called for inclusion of anti-drug abuse subjects in school curricula as a response to drug abuse among the youth.The RIDARC coordinator, Joseph Mushyikirano, said the body is preparing a syllabus that can guide in teaching on drug abuse fight if approved.The guild president of KIE Students Union, David Bashayija, observed that drugs in schools is due to lack of knowledge and skills to fight it.“Fighting drug abuse and better knowledge on drugs must be a cross-cutting subject like ICT in all secondary schools and universities,’’ said Bashayija. “This will raise more awareness and increase skills to fight drug abuse.’’In addition to indiscipline, Mushyikirano noted that drug abuse in schools is the main cause of increasing unplanned pregnancies for school girls.“This leads some of them to abort, making it difficult for them to continue their studies.’’According to Supt. Emmanuel Ngondo, the head of the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit, from January to November, this year, 2348kgs of cannabis sativa were seized and destroyed.Superintendent Ngondo said the youth constitute the majority of drug abusers as 78, 5% of all people arrested in the same period were the youth.He said drug sellers target vulnerable groups mostly the youth.In a related development, police yesterday reported five drug dealers had been arrested, including two who were carrying 7 kgs of cannabis on a motorcycle in Rulindo district.
