Don’t allow drugs to rob you of your future

05 December 2017

 

"Iwant to call on all young people of this part of the City of Johannesburg to be the masters of their own destiny, to assume responsibilities as citizens of the City of Johannesburg."

 

“I call on the youth to refrain from drugs and destructive behaviour, to make a pledge to protect themselves from HIV infection by not engaging in sex at an early age, and if they are to be sexually active to use a condom at all times.”

This was the message of the Speaker of the City of Joburg Council, Cllr Vasco da Gama, during World Aids Day commemoration at Kya Sands, northern Johannesburg on Friday.

Cllr Da Gama said drug addiction and substance abuse not only destroy the lives of communities, but are also capable of robbing the youth of a better future.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the demon and scourge I’m referring to is the problem of drugs and substance abuse,” said Cllr Da Gama.

Some of the known challenges of drugs and substance abuse are broken families, domestic violence, rape and murder of women and children. Communities live in fear of the druglords, who have taken over communities, mothers are afraid of their own children and because of drugs children have become monsters.

The Speaker said as we entered the festive season, abuse of drugs and alcohol become the order of the day among communities, with devastating consequences to many lives.

“Many lives are lost on our roads due to motorists and pedestrians because of alcohol. Alcohol is a drug. The danger of alcohol is that it is easily accessible to our youth and often so glamourised to the point that we forget it is in fact a drug, and therefore we must continue to condemn its abuse,” said Cllr Da Gama.