Local leaders in Bujoloto , Nkoma ward, Northern city Division mbale have raised a red flag on the increasing cases of drug abuse and high crime rates among the youths due to unemployment.
The authorities alleges that several boys and girls most of them below the age of 18 are involved in alcohol consumption and drug abuses especial marijuana, nicotine, other spirits.
While addressing this publication today Friday, Wasukira Francis the vice chairperson of Nabunyiri cell in Bujoloto Northern city attributes this to the rapid growth of the population in the area which has negatively impacted on the community.
Wasukira has sounded an alarm to the top legislators to help address the large dense population to redress these crimes through sensitization and poverty alleviating programs.
“The problems we have encountered is our youths are over consuming tobacco and marijuana, recently we hard a report from the ministry of health about a potential TB case, we are also having low turnup in schools” says Wasukira
Namarome Annet, vice chairperson of Gangama cell in Nkoma ward says they spend most of their time assisting drug addicts to quit abusing substances.
Namarome says these young boys and girls have a potential to turn their lives around, only if they can be assisted through crime prevention programs and sensitization.
“We have endeavoured to engage most of these children but it seems out of our country because they seem to be addicted, we even thought arresting them would be a better solution, we have tried to registered them on hands on skills jobs but they keep on abandoning work, we now call upon the government to give us a helping hand” says Namarome.
However, these drug users identifying themselves as ‘poor youths’ have accused the local authorities of neglecting them. they say the can be productive and fight poverty if the leaders help them to benefit from the government programs like Emyooga and PDM.
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