60pc of patients in mental health centres are drug abusers

Sunday Mail Reporter

Around 60 percent of all patients admitted to local mental health institutions are young people suffering from drug and alcohol abuse-related problems.

Government has established that the majority of the patients abused either alcohol, marijuana, crystal meth or illicit cough syrups.

In an interview, Ministry of Health and Child Care spokesperson Mr Donald Mujiri said authorities had adopted a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to arrest the menace.

“As it stands, 60 percent of patients admitted to mental institutions suffer due to drug and substance abuse-related problems,” he said.

“Due to peer pressure among the youth, Zimbabwe is facing an increase in drug use.

“Hence, as a nation there is need to
have a concerted effort to address this menace.

“Alcohol, marijuana, crystal meth (mutoriro) and ‘broncho’, among others, are the main drugs being abused, especially by youths.

“Alcohol and drugs damage the health of users and are linked to rises in road traffic accidents and increased disease burden.”

He said the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Substance Abuse had identified five pillars to mitigate the scourge.

The five pillars include the harm reduction pillar, the treatment and rehabilitation pillar, the supply reduction pillar, the demand reduction pillar and the community reintegration pillar.

The Health Ministry heads two of the five pillars.

“The Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan (2020 to 2025) was published in 2020 with a mission to reduce the demand, supply and harm of drug and substance abuse through a multi-pronged approach.

“Treatment and rehabilitation guidelines for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders in Zimbabwe (2020 to 2025) were published in 2020 with a mission of providing treatment, rehabilitation and community re-integration protocols, procedures and best practices.”