�Buy a pill that will calm you down� � gateway to drug addiction

Last week I gave a general overview of the high cost of quick-fix solutions. I wrote about the story of Bontle* who resisted peer pressure to send her 8-year- old child to a tuckshop to buy painkillers for Bontle’s * post-traumatic stress-related headache.

The issue of children and adolescents using harmful drugs for stress relief is becoming increasingly common.

Children learn mainly by emulating what their parents do. The scary fact is that children are the ones who are usually be sent by parents to go and buy over-the-counter painkillers from a “semausu” or a tuckshop, “ngwanaka tsaya o ye go nthekela pilisi ya tlhogo hale, kena le stress” which means “go and buy me some painkillers my child, I have a splitting stress-related headache”. This is one of the most dangerous statements a child can hear from a parent. It teaches children to use painkillers to instantly relieve stress-related headache, and consequently learn to use stronger chemicals when their bodies start to build resistance against over-the-counter painkillers. 

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

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