In conversation with Sree Kumar (India) Brian Mulipah, Trish Kunaka (Zimbabwe), we discuss the emerging drug endemic following insights from various people including Liam (Zimbabwe) who says, "Substance abuse in Zimbabwe has become an endemic and heavily pronounces classism. The majority of youth who suffer from it are from poor neighborhoods where corruption and impunity allow criminals in the person of drug lords to escape the law. Another example is when the ruling party and government agreed to accord provincial hero status to a deceased drug addict known by his alias (Which I will not mention). Government only pays attention to it when it crosses Samora for example what happened when the Harare Girls students were expelled for allegedly taking drugs and then the state decided to conduct anti- drug abuse campaign. The main drivers are pop culture and impunity. The state is to blame and also NGOs at times. For example, the state is not ashamed to associate with drug dealers like Mamba (alias) in Mbare and these people eventually graduate to become Politically Exposed Persons who use their access to powerful people to escape the law or in some instances bribe the police. Pop culture uses music to normalize and propagate substance abuse for example cannabis is propagated as a harmless herb by most reggae and dance hall artistes. It also clads on fashion brands. The mis-activism to legalize it leads youth into consuming it. To add on, The NGOs themselves invite drivers of pop culture in the music industry who sang songs that promote substance abuse to come and perform at their programs without holding them accountable which is very problematic."

Be on the lookout for a bonus insights track on the drug problems and what can be done to address them through the voices of Munyaradzi Dembenuzani (Zimbabwe) and Hellen Mary (Kenya).

The discussion is hosted and moderated by Saymore Ngonidzashe (Sayid'Ali) Kativu on behalf of the Swedish Institute Alumni Network Zimbabwe.