Members of the Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL) are calling for increased sensitization of parents and students about the dangers of alcoholism which include exposing millions of young people to mental health-related challenges.
The call came on June 23 as the UYDEL executive director, Rogers Kasirye, unveiled their week-long alcohol, drug and substance abuse awareness campaign. This was during the UN day against drugs, held under theme ‘listen first’ at Ibamba restaurant in Kampala.
“We are going to engage school parents and teachers associations (PTAs), boards and student fraternity in carrying out massive sensitization campaigns about the need to collectively fight alcoholism, drug and substance abuse within their communities given the negative effects on the population,” he observed.
Kasirye also called for a total ban of alcohol, sold in sachets, since its affordability (as little as Shs 500) has mentally crippled the moral fiber of millions of young people.
He was concerned that since the sachets are cheaper than a bottle of water, they were also affecting the economic productivity of the country.
“We are concerned by the rate at which young people are exposed to drinking alcohol packed in simple sachets and other drug substances, as some have suffered a mental breakdown,” said Kasirye.
“They should also ban the display and free distribution of alcohol products at public and social events where children are … and ban the use and working of children in trade-related activities linked to alcohol.
Kasirye’s deputy, Anna Nabulya, also unveiled a handbook titled “Prevention of smart parents’’ aimed at creating awareness about how parents and other key stakeholders can play a leading role in sensitizing children to avoid alcohol.
“We are launching this book to create awareness among the communities about the dangers embedded in alcoholism,” she observed.
She said they are targeting NGOs that advocate against this problem by bringing them on board so that they can go back and sensitize their members across the country about the dangers of alcohol and its socio-economic effects on the country.
“We shall visit institutions of learning with a view to creating awareness among the students population to take care and avoid getting exposed to the habits of alcoholism, drug and substance abuse because we believe it is at this stage that young people begin making independent decisions affecting their lifestyles,” she said.
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