The Ministry of Health has urged students in Nyagatare District to stay away from drugs and substandard alcoholic beverages, warning of their potential impact on young people’s health and education.
State Minister for Health Dr. Ivan Butera gave the warning on Wednesday morning while meeting students at Nyagatare Secondary School during a two-day working visit to the district.
Butera said drug use was a health concern, particularly among young people still in school, and urged students to focus on their studies and avoid substances that could affect their wellbeing.
“Some schools have reported cases of drug use, including substandard alcoholic beverages,” Butera told the students. “You should avoid them because it would be dangerous to come to school every day seeking knowledge while at the same time using substances that impair your reasoning.”
He said cases of substance use had also been reported among students in lower secondary school.
“There are issues we have been dealing with recently, including substandard alcoholic beverages, and they have not spared even children who are still in school,” Butera said. “You may find a child in Senior One or Senior Two who has already started using them.”
He said health officials were engaging students to explain the risks associated with drug use and encourage them to avoid substances that could harm their health.
Some students said they were aware of drug use in their communities and that the discussions reinforced the need to stay away from such substances and report cases to authorities.
Iradukunda Fils, a Senior Six student, said the advice could help students who had never used drugs as well as those who may have already experimented with them.
Mutuyimana Joyce said students should also report people involved in selling or using drugs.
“Where we live, you find places where these alcoholic drinks and other drugs are sold,” she said. “We have realized that it is our responsibility, first not to use them, but also to report to authorities those who sell and use drugs so that the problem can be addressed.”
Butera’s visit to Nyagatare also includes visits to health facilities and discussions with different groups on health-related issues.
