Reachout Centre Trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman during an anti-drug forum in Mombasa on Thursday, August 24, 2017. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala]
Politicians in Mombasa have been challenged to work closely with anti-drug lobby groups to tame drug abuse among youth in the county.
Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday, Reachout Centre Trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman urged the leaders to initiate various treatment and livelihood programmes to absorb over the 25,000 youth abusing hard drugs in Mombasa.Taib said it is only through dedicated leadership that the menace will be completely eradicated.He said most youth were engaging in drug abuse due to lack of involvement in development programmes.“Drug abuse among youth has become a major challenge in this county and it is high time political leaders joined the fight to end the menace by setting up treatment and counseling centres, as well as establishing programmes that will uplift our youth economically,” he added.Taib appealed to both the county and national governments to support the organisation in its daily activities to ensure they reach more youth who struggle with substance abuse.“We need more rehabilitation centers funded by both the county and national governments so that we can offer our services to youth in different parts of the county,” said Taib.He said Kisauni, Likoni and Changamwe were the most affected areas, adding that a majority of youth in the constituencies are either abusing or peddling drugs.He said heroin and cocaine are the most abused drugs in Mombasa, and urged police to arrest drug traffickers in the area.