Namibians drink to get drunk

A social worker from the Khomas Region has raised concern about alcohol abuse throughout the country. Peneyambeko Martin was speaking at the commemoration of the International Day of Awareness on Substance Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking last week in Windhoek. Martin said many Namibians consume alcohol excessively and in the process fail to control their behavior. Such people are usually the ones found on the wrong side of the law. “Substance abuse is the leading cause of all societal evils in our country,” she said. Martin defined substance abuse as the extreme ingestion of harmful substances by sniffing, drinking, swallowing or injecting. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Social Services 43% of Namibian children between the ages of 13 and 16 consume alcohol and use intoxicating and habit-forming drugs. “These children use substances and they do not know the effects of the alcohol and drugs that they consume,” she said. She further said the consequences of this behaviour end up affecting every citizen one way or another and hence the need to sensitise the nation about the dangers associated with their use and ways to prevent getting involved. Martin told the audience that they should spread the message to the rest of the community in order to help educate the people on the dangers of these substances and addictions associated with their use. She noted with concern that generally people who abuse alcohol and dangerous drugs spend the bulk of their income on them and in the process end up neglecting their families. WINDHOEK KENYA KAMBOWE