STUDENTS DRUG ABUSE RIFE

  
Takudzwa Nyautore

Mashava- Highly addictive drugs have reportedly hit Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) Mashava campus. Students are said to be widely abusing dangerous drugs at an alarming rate especially broncleer popularly known as ‘ngoma’ or ‘bronco’.

A Mashava drug dealer and a user of these drugs who identified himself as Gunchilly (not real) said most of his customers are GZU male students. 

“I sell these drugs at an affordable price, 5 rand for 1 star of mbanje and 3 dollars for a 100ml bottle of ngoma. I have no job and I am earning a living from selling these drugs and zvirikufaya” said Gunchilly.

He went on to explain how the drugs work.

“These are high grade drugs, you feel like your thinking capacity is on slow motion and when you use bronco you develop huge cravings for sweet things such as sweets and drinks,” he added.

Bronco is meant to cure flue and cough. However students are abusing this drug by taking 50-100ml instead of the prescribed 10ml at a time for adults. 

 A student only identified as Softaz said, “I take drugs to relieve boredom and depression. Per day I take 100-150ml sometimes when I am broke I only go for mbanje”.

Broncleer has side effects which are clearly spelt out on the container which include hallucinations.

When asked for a professional comment on the effects of the drugs GZU Hospital Sister-in-charge Chiedza Mugwamba explained how they were a danger to one’s life

 “broncleer or ‘bronco’ as the students call it, have side effects  if taken to excessive and these  include lack of coordination, mental confusion, visual hallucinations, blurred vision and dry mouth, therefore creating chances of one to be insane and end up not graduating’ said Mugwamba

Great Zimbabwe University Mashava campus director Ms. Sarafina Mudavanhu at a Men’s Forum recently held at Mashava club house urged male students to desist from drug abuse and more counseling sessions on male students were going to be done to solve this problem.