Drugs push youth over edge
Health minister Bernhard Haufiku is desperately trying to steer young people away from socially destructive behaviour such as alcohol and drug abuse, smoking and unprotected sex.
Eighty percent of admitted mental patients at the Oshakati state hospital are drug and substance abusers.
Their average age is 25 and most started abusing substances when they were 16.
According to health minister Bernard Haufiku, drug abuse is a serious problem in the country, but particularly so at the Oshakati hospital, which receives patients from at least six regions.
“Remember, this is one the biggest referral hospitals and it gets people from about six regions, so it means the problem is in about six regions. You can truly see they [the addicts] are very young boys,” he said.
Haufiku addressed Nust students on Friday as part of an HIV/Aids and wellness campaign that encourages young people to live healthier lives.
The head of the psychiatric unit at the Oshakati hospital, Dr Famuyiwa Peter, previously opened up to Namibian Sun about the many challenges faced by the facility.
Peter said last year that the unit had two psychiatrists attending to 130 inpatients and 400 outpatients every week, adding that the unit did not have sufficient drugs.
The retired head of the national drug law enforcement unit, former Deputy Commissioner Hermie van Zyl, said this week that the vastness of the Namibian and Angolan border makes it extremely easy to smuggle drugs into the country.
According to him, drugs go where there is money.
He pointed out that the Khomas, Erongo and Oshana regions are the nation's drug hotspots.
“They come in from Angola by means of public transport, such as passenger buses. It is very difficult to get hold of them because you do not even have to go through a border post and there are no fences at the (Angolan) border,” he said.
Van Zyl added it is equally difficult for the police to find these drugs at the Walvis Bay port and the southern border posts, and therefore public assistance is extremely important to capture these criminals.
“Unless you have specific information, it becomes difficult to find it [the drugs]. Imagine at Walvis Bay port about 3 000 containers arrive on a daily basis and not every one of them can be put through the scanners. It is the same at the border posts; there are so many trucks coming through.”
According to Van Zyl, the main drugs that come through the southern borders are cocaine and dagga, while dagga, cocaine and 'cat' (methcathinone) enter through the eastern border.
He said cocaine and dagga are smuggled through the country's northern borders.
'Cat' is a stimulant that can be snorted or inhaled and is highly addictive. The effects are similar to those of cocaine. It causes euphoria, increased alertness, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
Van Zyl added that the most popular drug in Namibia is dagga, followed by crack cocaine.
Abusers from poorer towns such as Mariental and Keetmanshoop mostly abuse dagga.
Healthy living key to longevity
Haufiku urged young people to take care of their personal hygiene and stay active.
“As a young and dynamic Nust student and Namibian learner, can you treasure life without engaging in socially destructive behaviour such as alcohol and drug abuse and smoking your lungs out or engaging in risky and unprotected sexual activities? How often do you complain that you do not have time to jog or just de-stress or do yoga?” he asked.
Haufiku also warned that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease are the world's biggest killers, responsible for seven out of every ten deaths worldwide, and Namibia is no exception. According to him these diseases may become the next biggest social challenge if swift action is not taken to change the lifestyles of young Namibians.
He said this would be catastrophic, because communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB) remain a constant challenge for Namibia and sub-Saharan Africa.
“If we are not careful, we will be caught ill prepared. Cardiovascular complications such as strokes and heart attacks remain the leading cause of deaths among affluent societies. For the youth, rheumatic heart disease is a real issue as far as cardiovascular disease is concerned,” he said.
Haufiku said other major health issues are cancer and mental health problems.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Their average age is 25 and most started abusing substances when they were 16.
According to health minister Bernard Haufiku, drug abuse is a serious problem in the country, but particularly so at the Oshakati hospital, which receives patients from at least six regions.
“Remember, this is one the biggest referral hospitals and it gets people from about six regions, so it means the problem is in about six regions. You can truly see they [the addicts] are very young boys,” he said.
Haufiku addressed Nust students on Friday as part of an HIV/Aids and wellness campaign that encourages young people to live healthier lives.
The head of the psychiatric unit at the Oshakati hospital, Dr Famuyiwa Peter, previously opened up to Namibian Sun about the many challenges faced by the facility.
Peter said last year that the unit had two psychiatrists attending to 130 inpatients and 400 outpatients every week, adding that the unit did not have sufficient drugs.
The retired head of the national drug law enforcement unit, former Deputy Commissioner Hermie van Zyl, said this week that the vastness of the Namibian and Angolan border makes it extremely easy to smuggle drugs into the country.
According to him, drugs go where there is money.
He pointed out that the Khomas, Erongo and Oshana regions are the nation's drug hotspots.
“They come in from Angola by means of public transport, such as passenger buses. It is very difficult to get hold of them because you do not even have to go through a border post and there are no fences at the (Angolan) border,” he said.
Van Zyl added it is equally difficult for the police to find these drugs at the Walvis Bay port and the southern border posts, and therefore public assistance is extremely important to capture these criminals.
“Unless you have specific information, it becomes difficult to find it [the drugs]. Imagine at Walvis Bay port about 3 000 containers arrive on a daily basis and not every one of them can be put through the scanners. It is the same at the border posts; there are so many trucks coming through.”
According to Van Zyl, the main drugs that come through the southern borders are cocaine and dagga, while dagga, cocaine and 'cat' (methcathinone) enter through the eastern border.
He said cocaine and dagga are smuggled through the country's northern borders.
'Cat' is a stimulant that can be snorted or inhaled and is highly addictive. The effects are similar to those of cocaine. It causes euphoria, increased alertness, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
Van Zyl added that the most popular drug in Namibia is dagga, followed by crack cocaine.
Abusers from poorer towns such as Mariental and Keetmanshoop mostly abuse dagga.
Healthy living key to longevity
Haufiku urged young people to take care of their personal hygiene and stay active.
“As a young and dynamic Nust student and Namibian learner, can you treasure life without engaging in socially destructive behaviour such as alcohol and drug abuse and smoking your lungs out or engaging in risky and unprotected sexual activities? How often do you complain that you do not have time to jog or just de-stress or do yoga?” he asked.
Haufiku also warned that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease are the world's biggest killers, responsible for seven out of every ten deaths worldwide, and Namibia is no exception. According to him these diseases may become the next biggest social challenge if swift action is not taken to change the lifestyles of young Namibians.
He said this would be catastrophic, because communicable diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB) remain a constant challenge for Namibia and sub-Saharan Africa.
“If we are not careful, we will be caught ill prepared. Cardiovascular complications such as strokes and heart attacks remain the leading cause of deaths among affluent societies. For the youth, rheumatic heart disease is a real issue as far as cardiovascular disease is concerned,” he said.
Haufiku said other major health issues are cancer and mental health problems.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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