Church fights drug, alcohol abuse

Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church has urged stakeholders fighting against drug and alcohol abuse to unite to defeat the vice.

SDA Church Central Malawi Conference president John Phiri made the call on Saturday in Nkhotakota during a day-long drug abuse awareness campaign targeting the youth. 

He said the problem is worsening as many youths are now engaging in anti-social behaviour which eventually results in school dropouts and teenage pregnancies.

“In most cases, peer pressure is fuelling the problem among the youth. This mostly happens in our societies. Again, some parents fail to counsel their children on the dangers of drug abuse,” he said.

Speaking in a separate interview, Nkhotakota District Hospital clinical officer Emmanuel Kamuyango commended the church for the gesture, saying the fight against drug abuse requires concerted efforts.

He said leaving the fight against drug abuse to government alone can be disastrous as the State is overwhelmed with other commitments.

Kamuyango said through partnerships, the problem can successfully be eliminated. n