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Latwell Nyangu-Youth Interactive Writer
The drug crisis is affecting learners in Zimbabwe and this has become a cause for concern.
Addiction and substance abuse has made significant negative impacts on this nation’s students as years have gone by, culminating in what can be described as epidemic of substance abuse among the nation’s youth.
The problem really started to worsen around the turn of the century when serious drugs became more available in schools and colleges.
As put by Joseph Califano, drugs and alcohol have infested schools and threaten the children and their ability to learn and develop their talents.
Learning more about drugs’ effect on students and school performance is a great preventative measure.
It is good that the Government has prioritised ensuring that these drugs, and the cartels who have amassed a fortune trading them, are dealt with.
President Mnangagwa was quite clear on this on National Youth Day. There is no better subject to deal with, for the sake of the country’s future, than the youth confronting this drug menace.
The President’s call for drug cartels to be dismantled is the way to go as drugs are affecting the young generation on a daily basis.
The generation is not well-informed about the dangers of abusing drugs and many of the abusers are of the opinion that drugs help them in some way.
The truth is these drugs like Musombodiya, BronCleer and Crystal Meth have become common in tertiary insstitutions.
The use of drugs for purposes other than their intended use – which is to improve the health of people affected by certain conditions or health challenges – is becoming a danger to society. Students are taking medicines such as cough syrups and abusing them to get high and, in the process, compromising their health. They then take pleasure in abusing the syrup.
Some students are going to the extent of taking drugs meant for mentally-challenged people and abusing them under the name “Dipapa.” Something must be done for the sake of the learners’ welfare at campuses.
If police and law makers combine forces, Zed, Bronco, Musombodiya all the illegal drugs can easily be done away with. Aphrodisiacs are also being widely abused and these, too, need attention as they have many side effects. So, abusing drugs means risking numerous side-effects.
The truth is that drugs are a danger to both life and freedom as students can be arrested should they be found abusing these substances.
The use of illegal drugs has spread at a high rate and has penetrated every part of the world. No nation has been spared from the devastating problem. The streets of urban areas are awash with drugs of all kinds: from Marijuana or Mbanje to Broncleer, Histalix, Coccaine, Cordain, Musombodhiya, Tegu-tegu, Katsotsi, soldier, zed, double punch, Heroin, Mangemba, (ZCLDN 2014),
It is estimated that 60percent of the youth are on illicit drugs in Zimbabwe. Reports estimate that police record numerous cases of drug abuse every day.
Statistics from the Anti- Drug Abuse Association of Zimbabwe (ADAAZ) say up to 43 percent of students know of schoolmates found in possession of cigarettes.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s report of 2017 presented at a workshop at Harare Central Hospital, 45 percent of all mental cases in Zimbabwe are triggered by substance and alcohol abuse. Psychologically, adolescents have serious developmental tasks to handle such as peer identification and individualization from their family. Effects of drug abuse range from declining grades, lack of interest in school subjects, lack of interest in a future career, absenteeism from school and other activities, and increased potential for dropping out of school completely are all major problems associated with adolescent substance abuse in this nation.
Cognitive and behavioural problems experienced by alcohol- and drug-using students may interfere with their academic performance and also present obstacles to learning for their classmates according to Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1992.
There is no doubt about it, substance abuse and failure in school go hand in hand, just like substance abuse and failures in all other sectors of life also go hand in hand.
One recent Marijuana study showed that heavy Marijuana use in your teen years and continued into adulthood can reduce your IQ up to as much as eight points.
High school dropout rates have also risen as a result of substance abuse.
A study of teens in 12th grade (16-18 years of age) who dropped out of school before graduation are more likely than their peers to be users of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs.
One study found that nearly one-third of school dropouts indicate that their use of alcohol or other drugs was an important contributor in their decision to leave school.
The brain is especially susceptible to change during adolescence — the year’s most often spent in the classroom, on the field, and validating friendships. This is the time in which a person’s learning capacity is at its greatest. It is also the time during which the brain is most vulnerable to disruptions in cognitive development.
Drugs and alcohol are some of the most detrimental, yet most common disruptions in teenage brain development. They manipulate the brain’s wiring and affect the way the brain processes and retains information – including the way a teen thinks, focuses, learns, remembers, and concentrates inside and outside of school.
This is especially crucial today, when drug abuse in schools is prevalent and drugs in high school are increasingly easy to get.
Drug abuse in schools, particularly illicit drugs in high school, has long been a topic of concern.
Adolescents and young adults no longer see a great risk in smoking marijuana regularly. They are also using it more regularly especially at school. Some college and high school students are also avid users of what they might call “study drugs,” prescription stimulants that are misused by many students to help boost performance in school and enhance focus on school assignments.
With proper education about the dangers of early drug abuse in school years, however, your teen can come to understand that there is no right time or place to use drugs.
The reality is that not only can drugs impair teens’ cognitive development, they can also affect students’ performance in school, ability to memorize things, concentration in the classroom, prioritisation of assignments, likelihood to attend class, and even their overall IQ.
If you are concerned about your teen’s exposure to drugs in high school, middle school, or college, you are not alone.
Students’ use of drugs can have a lasting impact on the brain, but early intervention, proper education, and tailored drug treatment can put your teen on the path to success.
Growing up aggressive behaviour, lack of parental supervision, poverty, undiagnosed mental health issues, and child abuse should be addressed with appropriate interventions.
The world over the parent has a concern that his/her child should excel in his/her education but due to certain circumstances some children are succumbing to substance abuse which might affect them psychologically, physically and emotionally.
Without early intervention, some of these situations could escalate and lead to more problems down the line for young students, including trouble in school, hardships in making friends, and isolation, all of which can put a child at risk of experimenting with drugs or alcohol later in life.
In order to combat the problem of drug use in schools, it is important for parents and educators to understand the problems associated with drug abuse.
Happy drug free learning!
Online Reporter