Stem deadly drugs threat

In their illegal pursuit of riches, some crooks are callously wrecking the lives of other people, including schoolchildren. These are the drug traffickers, who are so obsessed with the illicit gains from this deadly business that they do not care about the pain and agony they inflict on the victims and their families.

A recent report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) has revealed that pupils as young as 13 are using drugs at home and in school. This is the age when children are highly impressionable and, if not keenly monitored, could easily fall into the hands of traffickers and end up dropping out of school and generally ruining their lives.

The most commonly abused substance is bhang but in urban areas, as has become evident in Mombasa, more young people are getting hooked on the hard drugs, especially heroin and cocaine. The result is that some have been left in a vegetative state, their lives wrecked almost beyond repair. But other young people are also led astray and recruited as carriers while drug barons wallow in the illicit returns.

Nacada, other State agencies and the Judiciary deserve kudos for waging a relentless war against substance abuse. However, a lot more needs to be done. The enormity of the challenge is evident in the fact that it is a highly lucrative business and, thanks to their financial muscle and connections, the barons can corrupt some people in the law enforcement agencies and the judicial system.

The war against drug trafficking and abuse must be stepped up to protect the society, especially the youth. This calls for the concerted efforts of the security agencies, parents, teachers, religious and other leaders, rights activists and the administration to stem the grave threat of narcotics to the nation.