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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Lesan",
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"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first and foremost, I wish to thank my colleague, Sen. (Dr.) Machage, for having recognized the very dangers that alcohol and drugs pose to our youth and country at large. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the outset, I want to mention that alcohol and drugs are not categorized as foods. Therefore, they are not essential. This particular type of substance when consumed, targets only specific organs. It targets the nervous system alone unlike different types of food when they are consumed. Therefore, this is one of those things that we must, at all times, condemn. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to point out specifically the very serious health consequences associated with the consumption of alcohol or drugs. Since I have said that they affect the nervous system, we have consequences such as mental incapacity, insomnia, dementia, delusion, derangement, psychoneurosis and even impotence, as a result of drug or alcohol consumption. There are also concomitant medical consequences such as HIV/AIDS, prostitution, road accidents, suicide, including homicides and domestic violence. These are all consequences of alcohol and drugs. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also come from the medical profession and we have witnessed very sad situations where young individuals or children drop out of the best schools in the land and become zombies, because of the consumption of these substances. Since they form the hopes and investment of their families, when they drop out of schools and become zombies as a consequence of these drugs, it must raise our concerns as to what we should do about this particular killer. These drugs are killing families slowly and surely. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are very fortunate in this country that we do not grow poppy which is the opium plant for heroin, or manufacture any heroin. That is a great fortune. The biggest problem we have is that all heroin consumed here enters through some points in our country. We must do something to make sure that these harmful products do not enter our country. We must deal with this situation. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are two particular categories of individuals that we must deal with when it comes to drugs. The first category of individuals that we need to deal with is the traffickers of this deadly cargo. The traffickers of drugs are the kind of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}