By Flata Kavinga
Junior Member of Parliament for Mbizo Constituency Blesswell Chakonza has called for stronger prevention and support measures to address drug and substance abuse in schools, describing the problem as widespread and increasingly affecting girls.
Chakonza spoke to journalists on the sidelines of a sanitary pad donation programme at Mbizo High School on Friday where she said isolated cases of drug use had been detected at the school and other learning institutions.
“This issue is very big. Even here, once in a while, students are caught taking drugs. We need programmes that teach learners about the dangers, but at the same time there must be action to stop drugs from getting into schools,” she said.
She said prevention efforts should combine awareness campaigns with tighter security measures, acknowledging that controlling access to drugs can be difficult in environments where large numbers of students interact.
Chakonza urged authorities to adopt early intervention strategies to prevent the problem from spreading among learners and to provide support for those already affected.
“Education alone is not enough. We also need preventive measures and where possible, rehabilitation centres because many children are already affected,” she said.
The junior legislator added that anecdotal observations suggest more girls than boys may be struggling with substance abuse, a trend she said requires further attention from policymakers and education stakeholders.
She warned that failure to tackle the issue could undermine national development goals if more young people are drawn into drug use.
