By Ruth Lengani
Karonga District Youth Officer (DYO), Lapken Liwago has asked for collaborated efforts among different stakeholders in ending cases of drug and substance abuse among youth in the district.
In an interview Sunday in Karonga, the DYO said many youth in the district are indulging themselves in drug and substance abuse due to peer pressure and lack of information on the negative effects of drugs.
Liwago said there was need to intensify civic education among the youth saying failure to do so would derail them from being fruitful citizens for the county.
“We advise the youth to resist peer pressure and be able to set goals in life and this will help them to be focused”, he said.
Karonga District Full Council Youth Representative, Davie Kitalo said lack of youth centres prevent them from sharing ideas influential in shaping their future.
He said there was need for the District Council to have youth recreation centres where the youth would be spending their time rather than indulging themselves in drug and substance abuse.
“We are pleading with different organizations to assist the youth in the district by constructing youth centres where our youth should be learning different skills,” Kitalo observed.
He asked government to create job opportunities for the youth in order for them to be productive citizens in the near future.
One of the youths in Karonga, Frank Mwaungulu said increase of drug and substance abuse make youth to get involved in immoral behaviors like prostitution and theft that brings down the development in the district-MANA
