Kuleka Runaidah/ Melo Media | Thursday, 8th February 2024 | Lusaka
The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu has launched the National Policy on Drugs and Substance Control in Lusaka today.
Speaking at the launch, the minister states that statistics from Drug Enforcement Commission DEC indicates that there has been an increment in the number of persons seeking counseling services from 810 in 2021 to 1212 clients in the year of 2022 stating that the majority who are accessing the services are aged 12 and 35 with most of them being alcoholic addicts and other substance abuse.
He says that in order to address drug issues, government with other different stakeholders developed the national policy on drug and substance control.
Therefore, he says the policy will inform decision-making and action in diversing interventions and addressing the scourge on drug abuse and substance in Zambia.
And speaking at the same event the Resident coordinator for United Nation Beatrice Mutali says the launch aligns with the global efforts championed by the United Nations office in drugs and crimes in order to promote balanced health and human rights on drug control.
She states that the word drug reports of 2023 indicates that over 292 million people used drugs in 2021 stating that there has been an incensement of 23% over the previous decades.
she mentions that the industry of illicit drugs continues to ramp up resulting to an increase of 45% over 10 years. Therefore, she says young population are the most vulnerable to use drugs and they are more severely affected by drug disorders in several regions.
