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{
    "id": 1338547,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1338547/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Endebess, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for allowing me to contribute to this important Motion by Hon. Makali. At the outset, let me say that I support the expansion of drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centres. Hon. Temporary Speaker, from the statistics given, you can see the age bracket that is affected is between 10 and 19 – which is a young group. What lacks in this group that is being affected? These children access opioids, cannabis sativa (bhang), alcohol and many other substances within the class of substances we call drugs. When we talk about drug and substance abuse, we should appreciate that it is a mental illness because it is a psychological, emotional and social problem. The most important part of it is to look at the social fabric within the society. As Hon. Members lament about it, what are we doing? In other countries, people are hanged when they are caught with bhang, heroin or cocaine. We are the lawmakers. Have we made laws to strengthen our judicial system and make sure that the laws are prohibitive or punitive enough for anybody to engage in drugs and substance abuse? That is why children aged between 10 and 19 access them. We have those who are engaged in alcohol preparation. You find that more often, they use other substances like ethanol to make it stronger. In the process, they make people blind. The new Bill that this House passed the other day, which is in the Senate, talks of chronic illnesses, emergencies and critical care fund. It should take care of treatment for cases of substance abuse and people in rehabilitation centres. We also need to strengthen our mental healthcare system so that people who need treatment can access good medical care. In some of the cases, especially what our brothers from Mombasa talked about, we have centres which are supported by the National AIDS Control Council. The patients undergoing rehabilitation do not only suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, but they also have other comorbid conditions like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As they inject themselves with the drugs, they end up transmitting diseases from one person to another. One of the diseases that are commonly transmitted through sharing of syringes and needles amongst drug users is HIV. With that kind of thing happening, it is important that we, as a House, come up with laws that can strengthen and support these institutions. With those few remarks, I support the Motion."
}