Drug Fight Malawi has called for increased efforts in sensitisation to consequences of drug abuse among young people in Malawi.
Development Diaries reports that the non-governmental organisation (NGO), in its recent narrative report, said schools in Malawi lack adequate awareness of drug abuse as many students continue to see drugs as an avenue for relief.
It is understood that there is a general lack of information and research concerning substance use and abuse in Malawi and how use has an effect on gender-based violence (GBV).
The NGO’s report observed that children grow up in a much more complex and difficult world than ever, which has now contributed to them exploring drugs and other harmful substances.
‘As a result, innocent children fall into certain habits and impulses that are not congenial to their health in general’, the report read.
‘Particularly, children are quite vulnerable to drug use in both towns, cities and as well as in rural areas’.
The NGO recommended that teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to address drug-related issues, highlighting that teachers are crucial to preventing drug use among students.
The organisation also recommended that teachers should have their own drug use prevention training sessions, to enable them to better educate their students on the dangers of drug abuse.
Photo source: World Federation Against Drug
