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NAMIBIA “A DRUG PARADISE”
Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs as well as the misuse of of prescription drugs or other medicines. This usually results in a dependence on the drug and causes use to harmful levels .The rate at which Namibians are now consuming drugs is alarming to the extent that it is no longer just a convenient transit point for drugs but has graduated into an illicit drugs consumption point. Drug abuse and the illicit trafficking of drugs, are the greatest threats to mankind, destroying the lives of thousands of individuals and jeopardising the security and stability of many nations. This was highlighted during the commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, organised by the Coalition on Responsible Drinking in the Erongo region. Health Minister (Dr Richard Kamwi), said that the day commemorates the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the control of drug trafficking and drug abuse. He said there is a need for all countries to join hands to fight this evil, adding that criminal activities also threaten the safety and welfare of all Namibian citizens.

Despite all efforts to by authorities and Police to cope with the use of drugs and smuggling them, Namibia has become a paradise for drug smugglers and drug trafficking. Safety and Security Minister (Nickey Iyambo), said many of the 18- to 25-year-olds in Police holding cells say they turned to theft because of unemployment and poverty, although many of them have family members who work. “If you look at those young people in the cells, their eyes are red from drug use,” the Minister said. There are also hard drugs [produced] in clandestine laboratories in Namibia. This shows us in what direction we are moving with regard to drug abuse. At the Oshikango border post it is so busy that it is physically impossible to search all trucks for drugs. There is hope however that before the end of this year we will receive seven special X-ray machines to examine trucks.

For years, Namibia was viewed as just a transit country for drug traffickers, that is, drug cartels took advantage of porous borders and a young and experienced law enforcement agency to move their drugs to points from which they could be shipped to neighbouring countries. But in the last few years, Namibia has been reclassified by many as a consumer country because of the introduction of serious drugs like cocaine and mandrax. The urge to become quickly rich was a big reason why. People are promised big money. We hereby warn the communities to be wary of becoming unwitting drug mules. Any nation being used by drug barons as a drug transit route has the potential of becoming an illicit drug consuming country. Illicit drugs threaten the security of every nation and we call on the communities to collaborate with the police in apprehending these criminals. Drug abuse cuts across age, sex and socio-economic status. Most hard drug users were exposed to the drugs between the ages of 13 and 19 when they were still in secondary school.

The sharp rise of drug smuggling all over the world did not avoid Namibia. The Namibian authorities are doing all they can to combat this evil, but we cannot succeed in this without the active involvement of the community. Exact statistics on the problem are difficult to come by, as the country does no have sufficient drug addiction treatment services. Possession or sale of drugs is a felony and users are naturally reluctant to expose themselves to criminal charges. This means a great deal may be hidden from view.

Preventing drug abuse is a very difficult thing, considering there are no prerequisites for what makes a person a drug abuser. Drug abusers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds, and don't walk around with a sign on them. The thing that causes drug abuse is when you become addicted to it. That usually happens when you become depended on it just to be taken it. And that leads other drugs for the same feeling. .