Rwanda National Police

Students have been called upon to focus on their education, denounce and fight the use and sell of illicit drugs.

Inspector of Police Alexandre Mwezi, the District Community Liaison Officer for Gakenke delivered on May 19 during a sensitization campaign that targeted to disseminate the anti-drugs message to students from various schools in the district.

The campaign was also attended by residents and local leaders.

IP Mwezi told the students that selling or abusing drugs and illicit brew comes with its ill effects that might hamper their future prospects on top of being illegal.

“Our communities must be protected against the harm drugs are likely to cause. School administrators should develop programs which discourage drug abuse and also help students to understand and debate about the effects of drug abuse,” he said.

“School officials should also establish clear and consistent anti drug-use policies that specify drug offenses, consequences and work with Police through community policing to apprehend drug dealers who target the youth.”

He also called upon partners in crime prevention, including Community Policing Committees and District Administration Security Support Organ (DASSO) to be active im eliminating drugs from the youth.

Janvier Bizwinayo, the Director of Studies at Nemba Secondary School, where the sensitization seminar was hosted, asked teachers and other school administrators to be exemplary and exert a significant influence on students' attitudes, in order to help them prevent drug abuse.

“Students must know that those who they look up to as elders in society will support them. We should also emphasize the importance of providing timely intervention and timely information to Police about others who abuse and distribute drugs,” he said.

One of the students, Nazar Tuyisenge, called upon fellow students to heed to the message and concentrate on their studies and developing their communities instead of joining gangs that introduce them to dangerous drugs.

“Many young people are subject to peer pressure and influence from bad elements in society. However, the choice is ours to make and we should be responsible enough to say no to drug abuse,” Tuyisenge said.

He also pledged to always work with police through the provision of timely information whenever elements of drug abuse show up at school and in the communities.