Government institutions including ministries as well as faith-based organisations and the civil society, on Tuesday, continued the joint campaign to raise awareness against illicit drugs in Gasabo District. Over 1,200 young people turned up for the sensitisation campaign held at the Independent University of Kigali (ULK). The campaign brought together ministries of Health, Youth, Gender and Family Promotion, Rwanda Biomedical Centre as well as Rwanda National Police. The continuous exercise also including the Ministry of Local Government was launched in December last year. According to police figures, 4149 people were arrested in drug related crimes last year, with over 71 per cent of them aged between 18 and 35 years. At least 48 drug dealers who were arrested last year were aged below 18 years, according to the report. In the last five years, Police recorded 18,383 cases related to narcotic drugs. The State Minister in charge of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Dr Patrick Ndimubanzi, urged the youth to desist from abusing psychotropic substances. He said that there is a relationship between addictive drugs, excessive alcohol, and increased susceptibility to infections. Medical experts highlighted drug abuse as the cause for some prevailing cases of heart, liver, kidney and mental diseases. Between 2010 and 2015, the neuro-psychiatric hospital of Ndera received 1,432 patients with mental illness caused by use of drugs, according to statistics from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC). The number increased to 2804 in 2016 before decreasing to 1960 last year. Majority of those in rehabilitation centres are school dropouts or in the age bracket of those supposed to be in school or part of the labour force. The Minster of Youth, Rosemary Mbabazi, noted that optimum national development and individual prosperity cannot be realised if young people are infected with the illicit drug. Another government initiative aimed at addressing drug abuse is a guarantee and grant scheme that was set aside to help young people to start self-help projects. Through the Youth Connekt programme, the best 30 youth innovators are rewarded every year. These efforts are meant to support other initiatives that also include rehabilitations, operations and arrest of drug dealers as well as awareness campaigns targeting all groups to prevent new users. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
