New law aimed at protecting children to be tabled

A new law that will promote greater community involvement in preventing drug abuse among the youth will be tabled in Parliament soon. The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Bill is being prepared by the Social Development Department. Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya says the new legislation will be more sensitive towards the needs of children who are often victims of unscrupulous drug dealers and pushers. The minister called on NGO’s and churches to become more involved in addressing the problems children are faced with. He pointed out that first time substance and drug abusers were only nine or ten years of age.