Govt urged to up the fight against drug abuse

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Newsday
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drug abuse

BY NHAU MANGIRAZI

THE Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) has called on the government to step up the fight against drug and substance abuse in the country.

In a statement to World Health Day,  ZCLDN urged the government to implement the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan (ZNDMP) (2021-2023).

The World Health Day is commemorated annually on April 7.

This year’s theme is: “Our Planet, Our Health.”

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‘‘Illicit drug use is a major public health problem that impacts society on multiple levels and calls for urgent intervention. According to WHO, illicit drug use causes more than 400 000 deaths per year and is a risk factor for multiple health conditions such as blood-borne infections, road traffic injuries and suicide,” ZCLDN said in a statement.

“ZCLDN which was a key player in the crafting of the masterplan has identified gaps in the implementation of the ZNDMP which might jeopardise efforts to mitigate drug use in Zimbabwe.

“As ZCLDN, we don’t want a situation where the ZNDMP document ends up like so many others – gathering dust in some forgotten drawer. ZCLDN is committed to fulfilling its mission based on three programming areas: Drug Policy Reform, Harm Reduction and Drug Use Prevention.”