Alcohol abuse on the rise in the country

Dr Mpho Thula of Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital said this when giving a presentation on the Overview of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues in Botswana during a three-day Africa and Middle East Congress on Addiction conference held at the University of Botswana. The theme for the conference is, “The Challenge of Drug and Substance Abuse in Southern Africa: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.”

He said this is reflected in the number of outpatients and in-patients they receive at the psychiatric referral hospital. He said drugs and alcohol abuse have become a developmental problem in the country and it is on the rise. He said high cases of divorce, road accidents, suicide and mental disorders are common ills associated with alcohol and drug abuse. Thula said Batswana have developed a culture of intoxication. “You can even hear people boasting about it. The current generation does not even classify alcohol as a drug. It has become a common public health concern,” he said.