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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter

Churches have embarked on a massive campaign against drug abuse after reports that an increasing number of youths are now taking drugs.

Zimbabwe Christian Ministers Association’s Bishop Christopher Choto condemned the rampant drug abuse by some youths saying they should immediately stop the growing drug culture.

Bishop Choto said they were engaging pastors throughout the country help in empowering youths by giving them life skills so that they could desist from taking dangerous drugs.

“I urge youths to desist from taking drugs and alcohol because you can enjoy a better life without using those harmful substances.

“Most of our youths are experimenting with dangerous drugs so we are doing campaigns to minimise those cases and ensure that our youths are moving in a good direction,” he said.

ZCMA is a national body of church ministers which equips and empowers church leaders to be more effective in their calling.

Recently, police in Mashonaland East Province issued a stern warning to illicit drug peddlers who were contributing to the rampant use of drugs by youths in Marondera, saying if caught, they would face prosecution.

Adolescents who use both marijuana and alcohol during high school are more likely to have poor academic performance and mental health during high school, according to a new study by the non-profit RAND Corporation which studied a group of students over a seven-year period.

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is commemorated annually by the United Nations since 1989 to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use, second-hand smoke exposure, alcohol and substance abuses.

Tobacco smoking seems to pose more danger as it also affects non-smokers. Statistics from the World Health Organisation show that tobacco smoking leads to seven million deaths each year worldwide, including 890 000 of which are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.

Abuse of substances such as marijuana, codeine-containing cough syrups and crystal methamphetamine are killing many people through injuries, road traffic accidents, violence and suicides.