SCHOOLS TO TEACH EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE

Nairobi - The effects of drugs and their abuse will soon be taught in
primary and secondary schools.

And the Kenya Institute of Education has already published books on the new
subject, the coordinator of the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse
(Nacada), Mr Joseph Kaguthi, said at the weekend.

Nacada, he said, will train 240,000 teachers to handle lessons on drugs.
They will acquire skills in the use of electronics as teaching aid.

Mr Kaguthi said the move would ease parents' concern over their children's
exposure to drugs.

It was good news, he noted, that KIE had responded to Nacada's appeal to
have school literature on drugs for pupils from an early age.

Mr Kaguthi, a former provincial commissioner, was addressing journalists at
The Stanley, a Nairobi hotel, when he announced the sponsors of this year's
Journalist of the Year awards.

The awards will be launched by Trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi and his Home
Affairs counterpart, Mrs Lina Kilimo, at the Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi
on Thursday.

He urged media houses and journalists to support the campaigns against drug
abuse.

Said Mr Kaguthi: "A trained journalist who is interested in the promotion
of a drug-free society is doing a bigger job than 100 community-based
organisations which are sponsored with millions of shillings."

Mr Kaguthi appealed to media houses to support the campaign by rejecting
advertisements that promote drug abuse.

He also asked them to help journalists discard the fear that they may be
sued by drug barons if they write articles against narcotics.This year's
awards focus on enabling the public to destroy drug dealers' confidence.

Three categories have been added this year D the alternative media, Kenyan
journalists working out of the country, as well as faith-based
organisations, bureau chiefs and district information officers.

Kenya Union of Journalists secretary-general Ezekiel Mutua said his office
had received Sh3.1 million sponsorship out of the targeted Sh10 million.