Photo: Brendan Brady/IRIN
Drug abuse escalates in Zanzibar (file photo).
taking up narcotic drug abuse.
Ms Fatma Abdulhabib Fereji, the State Minister responsible for the campaign against drugs, the spread of HIV and care for people with disability, conveyed the message to mark the United Nations 'International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.'
This year's theme is 'A message of hope: Drug use disorders are preventable and treatable.'
The UN General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
According to the minister, recent survey has identified about 3,000 drug users in Zanzibar including the youths who use the drugs through syringes, which is also a source of spreading HIV. However HIV through use of syringes declined from 16 per cent in 2007 to 13 per cent in 2012.
"Fortunately as we mark the day, sober houses established four years ago have been doing well in reforming the drugs addicts. About 1,540 youths were treated at sober houses between 2009 and 2013," said Fereji.
The minister vowed to intensify the war against drugs, asking for public support through revealing people involved in the business.
She said most of the psychological and mental problems, and moral decay are a result of the use of drugs. Fatma emphasized that all people in the islands have a role to play to prevent use of narcotic drugs and that it is possible to keep Zanzibar free of narcotic drugs. She said universal initiates through: Comprehensive Package for Injecting Drug Users programme; The Universal Access; and support from UNODC and WHO have helped to reduce the problem.
No comments :
Post a Comment