Calls for a dedicated drug abuse rehabilitation centre

Calls for a dedicated drug abuse rehabilitation centre

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO Staff Writer

She says that at BOSASNet, they offer only outpatient services to people gripped with substance abuse and dependency because they do not have the capacity to admit patients for detoxification under the supervision of qualified psychologists and therapists.

"Drug abuse is when a substance is not used for its intended purpose, which involves over indulgence while drug dependency is when the user cannot or is unable to stop using the drug on his or her own," she says.

Mothibatsela is of the view that unless the fight against substance abuse and dependency is given a united approach by the private sector, non-governmental organisations, government and the public at large, the fight against drug use will be fruitless.

"We all need to acknowledge there are issues concerning drug use and dependency. We need appropriate funds and resources and we need the public's buy-in to win the fight against drug use and dependency," she said to Mmegi yesterday.

Mothibatsela says that the occurrence of drug use and dependency in Botswana cannot be denied, especially since they continue to receive people who admit to using both legal and illegal substances.

"We have received people, mostly men, aged between 16 and 50 coming from across all races seeking help because they are struggling with the use of drugs," she said.

The most commonly used drugs are marijuana, alcohol, mandrax, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, ecstasy, heroin, sleeping pills and nicotine.

"Indeed there are a lot of drugs in Botswana and this is a problem we all have to fight," she asserts.

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Calls for a dedicated drug abuse rehabilitation centre