DRUG ABUSE PRACTICE IN TANZANIA

Report on the Case Study of Ilala District in Dare’s Salaam Tanzania

BY

Social and economic support for drug abuse free environment

P.O.Box 78996, Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Mob: +255 659 765466, +255 718 880463
Email: sesdafe@gmail.com

DATE

9th December 2019

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3

The Study.................................................................................................................................................3

SESDE.......................................................................................................................................................3

Historical background:.........................................................................................................................3

Vision Statement.....................................................................................................................................4

Mission Statement...................................................................................................................................4

STUDY TECHNIQUES....................................................................................................................................4

DATA PRESENTATION..................................................................................................................................6

DATA RESULTS UNDER EACH AREA..........................................................................................................6

Table 1: Groups \involved by Age and Gender....................................................................................7

Table 2: Relative involvement.............................................................................................................9

Table 3: PLACE OF PRACTICE.............................................................................................................10

Table 4: Who is Taking Action and How.............................................................................................16

Table 5: Social and Economic Impact of the Drug Abuse Practice.....................................................18

Table 6: Opinions on Who Should do What in The fight Against Drug Abuse....................................19

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION.....................................................................................................23

RECOMMENDATIONS:...............................................................................................................................25

CONCLUSION:............................................................................................................................................25

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INTRODUCTION

The Study
This study has aimed at paving the way out to a deeper study which will expose not only
those who are practicing by gender and age but also all those who are involved in the entire
drug abuse chain. This simple study has exposed the groups of people involved in the
abuse practice in terms of gender and age, who is confronting the practice and how is doing
that, socio-economic impact of the practice and also gathered some opinions on how to
confront the practice. A deeper analysis of the results is well attempted complemented by
recommendations and conclusion. SESDE is using the results in its preliminary activities of
educating and advocating for change.

In this preliminary study forty four secondary school students from Msimbazi secondary
school were involved fourteen of whom were boys and thirty girls.

The forthcoming deeper study will involve different individuals, groups and institutions
cutting across age, gender and occupation to expose all those involved in the abuse chain in
terms of substance abusers, retailers, how the retailing is done, the impacted families, the
experienced history of impacts and the fight against.

SESDE
SESDE is a non-governmental, non-political, non religious organization which has been
established with the mandate of supporting the government efforts in the fight against
substance abuse in Tanzania mainland through research works backed with relevant social
and economic support services to the vulnerable. SESDE is a local NGO registered under the
NGO act 24/2002 by the National Registrar of Societies, Ministry of Community
Development Gender and Children on 16/07/2019 with Registration number
00NGO/R/077.

Historical background:
SESDE is quite a new National NGO with officers trained and experienced in ant substance
abuse campaign gained from ant substance abuse experts from an American international
organization CADCA in 2014/2015. Since 2015 SESDE founders deliberated on established

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a Tanzanian NGO and were successful on 16 th July 2019 when got her registration. The new
NGO has a three years strategic plan 2019 – 2022 and has started its implementation by
preparing and experimenting her baseline situation study tools.

Vision Statement
Organization envisions for a Community freed from drug abuse practices and successfully
engaged in legal productive activities.

Mission Statement
To support, educate, empower community in fighting against all forms of drug abuse,
poverty and behavioral change, give health and counseling support, social and economic
capacity building activities

STUDY TECHNIQUES
A purposeful sampling technique was used so as to get a group of youths who are not all
free from guidance and also not under strict guidance in the commercial capital city of
Dare’s salaam. Governmental non boarding secondary schools were opted for. A random
sampling was used to pick out Msimbazi secondary school for the study. For the reason of
age and extent of exposure form three and four students were recruited as respondents.

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 Photo 1: TAMBAZA STUDENTS (Respondents)

Photo 1: FACILITATORS AT WORK (Mr. Meckson and Annel)

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A guided questionnaire (see in the appendix 1) was used to collect data and information.

DATA PRESENTATION
The assessment areas targeted were; who are involved, relative number of involvement,
where drug abuse practice takes place, who are involved in confronting the practice, socio-
economic impact of the practice and opinions on who should do what to stop the practice.

DATA RESULTS UNDER EACH AREA

Table 1: Groups \involved by Age and Gender

AREA GROUPS INVOLVED BY RESPONDENTS %
AGE AND GENDER SCORES (yes out of
44)
Who is Involved in drug female children 4 9
abuse practices? Male children 4 9
Male youth 44 100
Female youth 40 90
Middle adult men 36 82
Middle adult women 24 54

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Old men 16 36
Old women 12 27

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Table 2: Relative involvement

GROUP IS INVOLVED RELATIVE NUMBER (yes out of 44) PERCENTAGE

female children Few 4 9
Many 0 0
Not involved 40 90
Male children Few 8 18
Many 0 0
Not involved 36 82
Male youth Few 0 0
Many 44 100
Not involved 0 0
Female youth Few 32 72
Many 8 18
Not involved 4 9
Middle adult men Few 8 18
Many 28 63
Not involved 8 18
Middle adult women Few 16 36

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 Many 8 18
Not involved 20 45
Old men Few 16 36
Many 0 0
Not involved 28 63
Old women Few 12 27
Many 0 0
Not involved 32 72

Table 3: PLACE OF PRACTICE

GROUP IS INVOLVED PLACE OF PRACTICE (yes out of 44)

female children Remote places (vijiwe) 4 9
Home 0
School premises 0
Vacated/unfinished
buildings
Male children Remote places (vijiwe) 0
Home 0
School premises 4 9

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 Vacated/unfinished 4 9
buildings
Male youth Remote places (vijiwe) 20 45
Home 8 18
School premises 4 9
Vacated/unfinished 12 27
buildings
Female youth Remote places (vijiwe) 8 18
Home 8 18
School premises ‒
Vacated/unfinished 24 54
buildings
Middle adult men Remote places (vijiwe) 24 54
Home 8 18
School premises 0 0
Vacated/unfinished 4 9
buildings
Middle adult women Remote places (vijiwe) 12 27
Home 8 18
School premises 0 0
Vacated/unfinished 4 9
buildings
Old men Remote places (vijiwe) 8 18
Home 8 18
School premises 0
Vacated/unfinished
buildings 0
Old women Remote places (vijiwe)
Home 8 18
School premises 0
Vacated/unfinished 4 9
buildings

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Table 4: Who is Taking Action and How

ANY ONE WHO TAKES (yes out of 44)

ACTION?
Police
Ward government leaders
Local Organizations
Foreign organizations
Individuals
Groups of people
Arresting Ambushing /using
44 /patrolling service centers/using
radio calls/seminar
8 seminar
16 Arrest /assisting
8 Assisting /arrest
12 Advise/informer Using service centers
Educate/assist/rep Distributing fuels
16 orting/stopping

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Table 5: Social and Economic Impact of the Drug Abuse Practice

SOCIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT (yes out of 44) HOW

female children 16 Truancy/poor
performance/diseases/st
reet children
Male children 15 Truancy/poor
performance/diseases/st
reet children
Male youth 44 Thugs/hanging around
Truancy/poor
performance/diseases
Female youth 44 Early

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 pregnancies/hanging
around Truancy/poor
performance/diseases
Middle adult men 44 Thugs/robbery/ hanging
around
/diseases/divorce/pover
ty
Middle adult women 44 Thugs/robbery/ hanging
around
/diseases/divorce/pover
ty
Old men 36 Shouldering
dependants/poverty
Old women 32 Shouldering
dependants/poverty

Table 6: Opinions on Who Should do What in The fight Against Drug Abuse

WHO WHAT SHOULD DO (number out of 44)

What should community members Educate each other on the 28
do effects of drug abuse practices
Report to the police drug abuse 20
practices
Create employment to the 4
youth
Report to the local government 4
authority drug abuse practices
What should government do Take stern measures against 12
members of the abuse chain
Educate community members 8
on effects of drug abuse
practices
Screen seriously imported 4
cargo
Strengthen streets patrols by 4
the police
Enact strong laws against 12

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 members of the abuse practice
chain
Provide treatment, guidance 8
and counseling services
What should civil society Do research and disseminate 4
organizations/NGOs do results through the social
media
Establish widespread guidance, 8
counseling and rehabilitation
centers
visit, guide and counsel, treat 8
Identify and strongly warn 8
individuals, institutions and
countries in the abuse chain
Educate and enact bylaws 8

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DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

From the social point of view:

The results shows that, youth is a leading group in the drugs abuse practice followed by the
middle adult group and in both cases males in the groups are leading by 100% and 90% of
the yes vote respectively. It is quite alarming that children are also listed thou at the
bottom (9% chart 3). This means that drug abuse practice thou crosscutting across age
groups but is mostly driven by none mitigated aspirations which are normally in full blast
at adolescence and middle adulthood. On this Santrok; 2008 wrote; ‘Adolescence is a period
of human development where young people are immersed in a sea of hormones, neurological
novelty and new plateaus that they must learn to navigate adapt and master’

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). This is supported by table1 and table 2 and charts 1, 2, and 4 results.

The practicing places tells how parents and the entire community are all negative to drug
abuse practices and that’s why is practiced in hiding places. Youths for stance (chart: 8)
practice it at secluded places called ‘Vijiwe” in Kiswahili, in abandoned buildings, and also
rarely at the home and school hiding places.

These places offer a decent room for peer sharing of ideas, plans and activities most of
which are social evils. Sometimes the abuse participants having been faced with financial
shortage plan to steal or robe. Robbery groups, ruffians, vagabonds, sexual abusers develop
at such venues. For children some of the impacts are; Truancy, poor performance,
diseases and awkward decisions such as opting for a street children life styles. For male
youth the impacts are; becoming thugs, hanging around, Truancy, poor performance,
diseases, Robbery groups, ruffians, vagabonds and sexual abusers among others. For
female youth the impacts are; Early pregnancies, hanging around Truancy, poor
performance and diseases such as HIV/AIDS among others. For middle adults the impacts
are; Thugs, robbery, hanging around, diseases such as HIV/AIDS, divorce, poverty and
street children among others. For old men and women the impacts are; shouldering
dependants and poverty among others (table: 5).

Being one of the most dangerous social enemies, the police, local government authorities,
voluntary groups of people, individuals, foreign and local organizations, all have a role in
the fight against the drug abuse evil. But very few respondents agreed that the local
government leaders and the foreign organizations are playing their responsible roles to
remarkable recognitions. It is the police only witnessed by the respondents to be playing
their part (see chart: 14). But in Tanzania the citizens’ police ratio is only 1:1000 (Crime and
traffic incidents statistics report (NBS) 25/12 2016). This means that there is a huge gap between
evil doors and the low enforcement officials which gives room for drug abuse practices to
flourish. Something must be done to ensure that the local authorities at the streets and
village levels are empowered to fight the evil in collaboration with volunteering groups and
individuals.

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On responding to what should the community members, the government, local and foreign
NGOs do, the respondents gave very good suggestions as shown in table: 6 and charts: 16,
17 and 18. The suggestions are quite relevant. SESDE and similar civil society
organizations should formulate strategies to ensure that the suggestions are streamlined
into government ant drug abuse policy and acquire coercive powers.

From the Economic point of view:

Quoting the impacts above, old people and the middle adults are shouldering dependants
who are either physically sick or mentally and psychologically impaired to the extent that
are no longer productive (table: 5). So at the individual level there are families which use
money to feed, shelter, put on and treat people who are drug abuse victims. At the
community level social development projects are denied the contributions from the
vulnerable families and individuals and as such social services are constrained by such
setbacks. The economic hardships at the community level are automatically reflected at the
National level ( ___quotation). The general end result is a nation which is handicapped in
that aspect and thus less competitive in the economic race.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
 Civil societies/NGOs conduct studies and disseminate results through social media
and other advocacy tools such as fliers’ and placards aiming at mitigating youth
aspirations.
 Civil societies/NGOs help the government to establish rehabilitation centers, guide
and council the vulnerable and enact coercive bylaws.
 Civil societies/NGOs also help the government to identify, warn and or take strong
measures against all those involved in the drug abuse chain.
 Civil societies/NGOs help the government to educate members of the civil society on
the effects of drug abuse through established social systems such as ant drug
coalitions.
 Civil societies/NGOs help the government to identify relevant employment
opportunities to youths

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  Government continue to effectively screen trafficked cargo from abroad and in the
internal corridors
 Individual community members educate each others on the effects of drug abuse
 Community members identify and report to the law enforcers’ individuals or groups
involved in drug abuse chain.

CONCLUSION:
Drug abuse practices in Tanzania do exist to the extent of threatening the government
effort to eradicate ignorance, poverty and diseases. The ant drug war is live and need be
supported by the government development partners. It is possible to defeat drug abuse
practices in Tanzania.

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