As Rwanda joined the World to celebrate the international day to fight drug abuse , emphasis was put on education the youth about the severe dangers related to using illicit drugs. The celebrations were held on the 17th July 2018 in Rusizi district are thousands of youths from different secondary schools flooded the stadium to listen to a blend of drama, testimonies and speeches against drug abuse.

“There is nothing good in drug abuse ,drugs have physical, psychological consequences  and they hinder development  while youth drop out of school,” warned Dr. Patrick Ndimubanzi , Minister of state for Primary and Public Health care at the Ministry of Health.

The Minister of Youth, Rosemary Mbabazi also had something to say about drugs, “As youth, our curiosity should be positive and aligned with leaving a legacy , we should avoid negative curiosity that leads to experimenting wrong things like drugs.”

Meanwhile, Yves Dusabe a teenager who had abused drugs for 5 years also emphasized the dangers, “Drugs will only ruin your reputation, health and self-development . Drugs are not cool, they are a highway to the grave,” said Dusabe.

 Rwanda National police called for joint efforts to arrest drug abusers and traffickers.

“It is every citizen's role to prevent drug abuse by reporting trafficking and drug use within the community for it affects everyone,” said the Police representative at the event.

The government of Rwanda has setup strategies to fight against drug trafficking and abuse; these include inventing rehabilitation centres that  also offer vocational skills to former drug abusers,   organizing campaigns to sensitize the general population, involving the civil society in the fight as well as decentralizing mental health services.