By M, KNA
The government has intensified the crack down on illicit brew, drug and substance abuse in Rachuonyo Sub County to ensure the youth were not lured into the habit.
Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Rachuonyo South Sub County Silvester Mwangulu said the move was necessary after it emerged that drug and alcohol abuse disrupts law and order threatening public safety.
“If we continue indulging in alcohol and drug abuse public safety and national security will be highly compromised,” the commissioner said and called on the leaders to take decisive action to rein in this menace of drug and alcohol abuse.
The DCC was speaking during the launch of national substance use prevention week in Oyugis town where he assured that government was committed in the fight against substance abuse to protect the youth by engaging them in meaningful economic activities.
“ We have done the mapping in all locations , so we know the brewer’s dens ,we have unlicensed outlets and those who are selling counterfeits products ,we have all the data and the people dealing with such ,those who are trafficking drugs , we have found them,” the DCC said.
The commissioner said they have intensified the crackdown against drug menace based on intelligence report s and have so far made several arrests , impounded illicit brew,bhang,and counterfeit goods.
He said the crackdown is also targeting counterfeits products which he said brings a huge loss to the economy of the country since selling of cheap and counterfeit goods forces genuine businesses to close down and yet they pay taxes.
Monica Akumu Homabay County Coordinator National authority for the campaign against alcohol and drug abuse (Nacada) said national substance use week, is the week whereby “we go to our clients at the grassroots, to everybody who is affected with alcoholism and drug abuse so that we are able to sensitize them in an effort to curb the challenges.
“Our main aim is as Nacada is to do prevention work because prevention is better than cure, we cannot wait until somebody has been affected or taken for rehabilitation,” she said.
Echoing the theme of the event, Empowered communities, brighter futures, and the coordinator said their programme is mapped along children and the youth who she said are the most affected by alcohol and drug use and need protection for a better future.
The county coordinator also said during the week they celebrate survivors, the people who have gone through rehabilitation centres and have come out healed.
“At the end of the programme, we want to talk about what we can do as parents to make sure that our children are not into drugs ,we want to know what is this that you can do better and what is this that we can do as a community to end drug abuse,” she said adding “we all know that if all of us are into drugs ,we won’t have the next generation.”
She said drug and alcohol has a n impact on the economic progress of the country since many youth and people who have plunged into drugs are not be able to engage meaningfully in the economic activities to sustain their livelihood.
End …Security/ Obure/Githaiga
Caption
Photo 1: Rachuonyo South Sub County DCC Silvester Mwangulu speaking during the National substance use prevention week in Oyugis town.
Photo 2: Rachuonyo Sub County DCC Silvester Mwangulu during the substance use prevention week.