A Nakuru lobby group is calling on the County Assembly to enact more harsh laws to help fight the problem of drugs and alcohol abuse among youth and other citizens in the county.
Antony Waweru, the Chairman of Mawanga Youth Agenda (MYA) while addressing members of his group among other residents of the estate during a public forum on the State of Drugs and Alcohol Abuse observed that the rising problems associated with drugs and alcohol abuse among the youth can only be eradicated if the County Assembly enacts laws that will spell harsh punishments to illicit brews and drugs dealers.
He observed that the existing national penal code and the recently passed Alcohol and Drinks Control Bill by the Nakuru County Assembly seemed ineffective, due to many loopholes and urged the local law makers to consider revising it.
“If we must stop this problem once and for all, then we must ask the county assembly to enact more harsh laws that will ensure that dealers and consumers of illicit substances are punished heavily. There is laxity and ignorance about the existing laws because they seem to be soft,” said Waweru.
According to the youth leader, majority of the local youth openly smoke marijuana, sniff tobacco and freely frequent illicit brew dens and pubs that sell outlawed alcoholic brands without fear, because there is laxity in enforcing the existing laws against such activities.
He added that dealers of illicit brews and unlicensed alcoholic drinks were having a field day because of corruption in the law enforcement groups, and urged the government and the National Campaign against Drug Abuse (NACADA) to support the County Assembly in passing of harsh laws to help stem out the problems that are associated with drug and alcohol abuse.