MEDICAL DOCTORS WARN UGANDANS, OFFICIALS OF HIGH HEROIN ADDICTIONS

Kampala

MENTAL patients who are being treated for narcotic drug addiction have
revealed that drug dealers lure them with free initial doses that make them
become addicted.

Once they are addicted, they do not receive any more free doses, forcing
them to spend whatever money they have or even steal in order to buy the
drugs."

The deputy director at Butabika Hospital, Dr. David Basangwa, said besides
cases of abuse from marijuana, the hospital had recently noted an increase
of patients admitted for abusing heroin.

He said a person could become addicted to heroin after taking it only twice.

He cautioned the youth against taking any narcotic substances just for 'fun'
since they likely to develop serious health problems.

"Some people, especially the youth start taking these drugs because of peer
pressure. They have to be very careful because they may develop mental
illness and end up here," Basangwa said.

"It takes a minimum of 18 months to treat patients that have become addicted
to drugs. When they are brought here, we admit them for an initial period of
two weeks. After that, we continue with other treatments depending on the
response of the individual patient," Basangwa said.

He said lack of adequate legislation and enforcement was partly to blame for
the increasing use of drugs, which are smuggled into the country.

"It is only the Police and Ministry of Health that have been left to deal
with this problem. There is need to establish a national body to control
narcotics. The penalties given to people caught peddling these drugs are not
punitive enough," Basangwa also said.