Vicky Chung
Ms. Tompkins
World Lit Honors 1st Period
13 March 2015
Innocent Souls Reap a Deadly Vaccination
Remember that dreadful visit to the doctor’s office when you were a child, sulking because you knew you had to endure a painful, sharp prick in your arm to protect you from diseases? In Africa, children as young as 10 are also being injected with shots: shots of cocaine.
Since the rate of drug abuse in Africa continues to rise, many young adolescents are gradually succumbing to the influence of drugs. As young people are introduced to substances while oblivious to the hazards they possess, drug addiction will eventually dominate their lives, devastating the precious innocence they possess.
Considering how children are not experienced enough to seek out drugs themselves, they are being exposed to drugs through other adults. A Lusaka mother named Agness Chilando shares her experience, describing how her child was introduced to injectable drugs by his uncles at a very young age (Africa News Service). It may seem plausible to protect your child from threatening and unstable strangers, but what happens when your own family members are the ones endangering your child’s security? The massive network of drug use has not only infiltrated over 28 million residents in Africa, according to a UN report shown by a DW article (Ndinda), but it is also expanding its compelling fingers around the fragile necks of unsuspecting children. As they grapple with the world at the peak of vulnerability, young people are more likely to submit to the control of drugs due to peer pressure, later crumpling under the weight of addiction.
As minors begin to experiment with drugs, the stability in their lives eventually starts to fluctuate in order to accommodate the exhausting demand drugs hold on their both their mental and physical state. Former drug addict Erick Mukiza reveals, “I was addicted to drugs and wasted away with no hope. I would shiver without cannabis or kanyanga. I was emaciated...” (Rwembeho). Drug addiction is a deadly power that can sneak into one’s life and effortlessly dictate one’s daily routine, relationships with others, and overall well-being. According to Sam Karema, principle of Gishari Integrated Polytechnic Regional School, drug abuse is “partly responsible for school dropout” (Rwembeho). By misusing these drugs, students are surrendering their education, therefore diminishing their chance at a brighter future. The more drugs they take, the more they become addicted; eventually the drug becomes a necessity, not a choice.
Although drug abuse is becoming more prominent amongst young people in Africa, teenagers are becoming more conscious of the issue, joining the battle to raise awareness. During a recent anti-drug abuse campaign, 500 Rwamagana students marched through the streets advertising the dangers of mistreating drugs (Rwembeho). Drug abuse is a widespread concern that is only expanding; as an increasing number of adults continue to answer its call, many adolescents are following their example, crippling their mind, their body, and their future.
Works Cited
"Chibolya Drug Shocker!" Africa News Service 8 Mar. 2015: n. pag. Global Issues In Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Ndinda, Leylah. "Illegal Drug Use on the Rise in Africa | Africa | DW.DE | 20.02.2013." DW.DE. Deutsche Welle, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Rwembeho, Stephen. "Rwamagana Students Join Campaign to Fight Drug Abuse." Africa News Service 3 Mar. 2015: n. pag. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
This was something that was really shocking for me, as someone who is aware of the adverse effects drugs can have on your body, especially at a young age, this behavior by adults disgusts me. This reminds me of how in America cigarette companies try to cater to teens to get to them to smoke. For the cigarette business not to go bankrupt, it must make new customers every single minute. They do this by trying to make smoking "cool" or embedding it in pop culture.
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