Tag: drug abuse

An uptown girl’s battle with drug and substance use

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere DRUG and substance abuse in Zimbabwe is usually synonymous with the ghetto streets. A dirty, shabby, red eyed male figure is probably the first picture one envisions when they think of drug users and abusers. Well, here is a Newsflash, the drug crisis is equally endemic and deep rooted in uptown residential areas such as Borrowadale Brooke, Chisipite, Umwinsdale and others just as is the case with Ghettos like Mabvuku, Mbare, Fio, Kuwadzana, Mufakose and others. It also knows no gender as more and more girls are…

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Drug Abuse Threatens Zimbabwe’s Future Economic Prospects-Experts

Patricia Mashiri

THE prevailing substance abuse scourge in Zimbabwe could have a long term impact on the country’s economic development as more young people of productive age are getting hooked on drugs owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being the economic induced hardships and idleness. By Patricia Mashiri In an interview with HealthTimes, leading Psychologist, Dr Kudakwashe Muchena, said  there was need for communities to work with the government to win the fight against drug abuse that has reared its ugly head over the few years and has been…

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Zimbabwe launches National Drug Master Plan

Patricia Mashiri

ZIMBABWE has launched a five-year National Drug Master Plan which runs from 2020-2025 which seeks to address a range of drug related issues. By Patricia Mashiri Dr Jasper Chimedza , the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child  (MoHCC) said there was need to address supply, demand reduction as well as control of illicit substances based on International Drug Control Conventions and in line with the principles of balanced approach to drug control. Substances that are commonly abused in Zimbabwe include alcohol (both licensed and unlicensed brews) tobacco,…

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Faced With A Bleak Future Post Lockdown, Zim Men And Boys Resort To Twabam, A Highly Intoxicating Brandy

Michael Gwarisa

IT’S 8:00 in the morning and due to the prevailing Lockdown, there is not much activity at Kuwadzana 6 Shopping Centre, known as pa Holland. Only a few young men and boys are seen milling around the shopping Centre near the Street Café Wholesale that sales an assortment of alcoholic beverages. By Michael Gwarisa Amongst Street Café’s beverages collection is a locally manufactured brandy, “Saints Brandy” which has a 40% alcohol content and is in the class of illicit brews such as Tambilani, Lawidzani and Msombodiya which dominated the market…

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Most Doctors And Nurses Abuse Drugs, Here Are The Tell-tell Signs Of Substance Abuse In The Healthcare Profession

Healthtimes

Doctors and nurses account for one of the highest rates of addiction in the workforce. According to USA Today, “Across the country, more than 100,000 doctors, nurses, technicians and other health professionals struggle with abuse or addiction, mostly involving narcotics such as Oxycodone and Fentanyl.” Like many other working professionals facing an addiction, there are many reasons a medical professional might turn to drugs or alcohol. They could be looking for a way to stay alert on an all-day or overnight shift or a way to escape the emotional pain from…

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We Cant Ban Bronco, Our Hands Are Tied- MCAZ

NewsRoom

THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) Director General, Ms Gugu Mahlangu says her organisation does not have punitive powers to block the importation of illicit drugs onto the Zimbabwean market, HealthTimes has learnt. By Michael Gwarisa Briefing a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Childcare, Ms Mahlangu said inasmuch as the situation of drug abuse has become a cause for concern globally, their hands were tied as an organisation. “We are aware of the drugs on the streets but we cannot go there because it is not our mandate,…

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