The Sunday News
ONE of the driving factors towards the unwarranted intake of drugs is the issue of “immature parents.”
In this short article I will divulge roles that parents can play in arresting the scourge of substance abuse
Parents tend to turn a blind eye to their children’s welfare, we have parents who spend most of their time concentrating on their jobs and social media such that it becomes difficult to have family time.
I believe active communication in the family can allow a parent to detect any change in his/her child. Some parents usually appear to be distant so as youths we tend to find solace in illicit substances.
Also our parents usually appear to be “monster parents” and becomes difficult to share our grief and pain. Parents usually say youths have nothing which stresses them hence the neglect encourages substance abuse.
Believe me I am not an Ananias, some parents are not supportive, I have had encounters with friends who cry that their parents are not supporting them in their endeavours; parents tend to discourage our dreams and aspirations as youth through the use of crude language and favouritism in households so this precipitates drug abuse.
Drugs and substance abuse – Image taken from Shutterstock
Phrases such as “useless child” are usually uttered out by parents and unknowingly this demoralises a child and encourages drug abuse
If we are to arrest this marauding pandemic of drug abuse it has to begin at our homes, people usually say “youths are the future leaders, but if parents fail to play their roles, the country will not have any future leaders as drugs would have mauled them.
Mthabisi Reliance Maphosa is former Masotsha High headboy and an author with two publications to his name Kudala Kwakunganje launched last week and Wisdom Stars Versus Arrogance At the Seasides (2021)
Contributions to the column are welcome from the youth every week. To submit an article, email: [email protected] or [email protected]
