HARARE, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is intensifying efforts to fight drug and substance abuse, a growing public health problem affecting the youth.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere said on Tuesday that from Sept. 1, 2024, to Jan. 31 this year, 79 illegal drug bases were destroyed, with 9,527 offenders arrested.
A total of 13,695 people received psycho-social support to assist with reintegration, while 886 individuals were reintegrated into their families, Muswere said at a post-Cabinet media briefing in the national capital of Harare.
To fight drug abuse, particularly among the youth, Muswere said the government has embarked on nationwide awareness measures through the cooperation among many ministries.
He also noted that affected individuals are being rehabilitated, calling on the private sector and diaspora community to invest in the establishment of rehabilitation facilities.
Substance abuse is a growing public health issue in Zimbabwe, and the most commonly abused substances include marijuana, cough syrups containing codeine, and crystal methamphetamine.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched a plan last year to strengthen the enforcement of anti-drug laws and disrupt drug supply chains, while providing prevention and rehabilitation services. ■
