English
Kinyarwanda
BY CSP E. KALISA
Drug abuse is one of the global issues being fought against world over. It is now, indeed, an international concern and does not seem to end anytime soon.
As such, drug abuse prevention should remain a constant objective across the board to help people being aware, avoiding the abuse of drugs, and rehabilitating those that have already started developing dependence.
In Rwanda, drug abuse prevention actors also need to keep developing initiatives that include a set of drug policies and strategies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the other governments and the whole world have made illicit.
Various actors are called to invest in high-profile interventions such as public awareness campaign; restriction of drug spreading and enforcement-based deterrence, and make sure these efforts effectively respond to the drug abuse issues with least difficulties.
By creating a scarcity of supply and an accompanying public discourse that reinforces social norms protective against drug abuse, individuals would be less vulnerable to experimentation with drugs, and less able to acquire them if they were interested.
Building many rehabilitation and recovery centers may also serve as a key response if the Government raises the ambition for full recovery, by improving both treatment quality and outcomes for different users by ensuring the right and timely interventions are given to vulnerable people. It is important, therefore, to establish formal a link between the educational, treatment and community services.
In this connection, the Government of Rwanda recognizes that the development of outreach services in conjunction with schools, youth clubs and community in general would be particularly beneficial.
It is of the greatest interest for every player in the programme to consider that the success of drug abuse prevention in developing effective prevention interventions and policies will result from a strong national, regional and international cooperation by setting harmonized laws and policies, and all-out implementation by all players especially the general population, which is equally empowered through proactive policing--community policing.
Further, it is then to be recognized that the question of drug abuse cannot be tackled as an exclusively internal matter of a nation; improved international cooperation is central to the success of any drug abuse prevention strategy.
There should be a global action that will take a leading role in driving international action, spearheading new initiatives, sharing the best practices and promoting an evidence-based approach to preventing drug related harm.
Strengthening coordination at the national level to investigate, control, or eradicate illicit drug trafficking and establish a centralized agency for coordination, cooperation, and timely international information exchanges, in accordance with international agreements is paramount.
Adopting laws and regulations requiring financial institutions to report suspicious transactions and to comply with other control measures is also vital.
Rwanda National Police in partnership with other relevant institutions have taken strides through continuous awareness to prevent new users, ensuring addicts are rehabilitated, mapping-out major transit routes and building strong public ownership to supplement operations against dealers towards breaking chains of supply.
Efforts towards drug abuse prevention needs to be consistent and not a one-time activity; therefore, as a way forward the causes of drug dealing need to be continuously monitored and checked, but also more strategies on drug production, demand and supply reduction need to be elaborated.
