Increase budgetary allocation to DEC – Sinkamba

Green Party president Peter Sinkamba has called for increased allocation of funds to the Drug Enforcement Commission to enhance sensitization programmes against drug abuse in schools.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe today, Mr Sinkamba acknowledged that there is rampant drug abuse among learners in schools and universities a situation he said should be addressed.

Commenting on the World Drug Day which falls on June 28, which Zambia has also commemorated today, Mr Sinkamba further called for a stronger policy to guide and regulate the access and use of drugs of abuse such as marijuana and cocaine.

He noted that Zambia did not have a strong policy regulating the administration of drugs which he said leads to the rampant abuse of drugs by learners in schools both at secondary and tertiary education levels.

The Green party president also called on the Drug Enforcement Commission to collaborate with non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) to enhance sensitization against drug abuse in schools.

“When you have a policy which guides you, you cannot have a problem of drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities, the biggest problem we have is lack of policy on drug abuse and we shall resolve that problem with the policy, of course, the Drug Enforcement Commission is trying through the community outreach programmes to sensitize children and students not to indulge but more resources need to be availed,” Mr Sinkamba said.

He also noted the need for the introduction of drug abuse in the learners’ curriculum so that children start learning about drug abuse and its dangers so that they appreciate the importance of abstaining from drugs as they are growing up.

Meanwhile, Mr Sinkamba has bemoaned the slow pace at which the New Dawn government is moving in legalizing the growing of Marijuana for medicinal purposes.

He said Zambia would have been thinking about growing the second crop by now if the government was moving fast in finalizing the law on the implementation of the policy.

He noted that Zambia was losing huge sums of money and employment opportunities by delaying the implementation of the policy on the cultivation of marijuana.

He was however hopeful that the process of formalizing the law on the legalization of marijuana cultivation will soon be actualized.

Today President Hakainde Hichilema led Zambians in commemorating the World Drug Day at Mulungushi International Conference in Lusaka.

And last year, the Patriotic Front government passed the law legalizing the cultivation of marijuana which is earmarked to be piloted by the Zambia National Service (ZNS).