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Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 16:13 GMT 17:13 UK

We achieve nothing with punishment,Nigeria has been fighting armed robbery with all felocity,the Delta bandits with alacrity and the common thieves with burning tyres,all in vain,as advocate of social market economy,Nigeria must not surrender the allocation of econmic wealth of the nation to Market, there must be social reallocation of wealth in Nigeria.Armed robbers,Drug trafficers and delta boys are all rebelling, punishing inreases the resoluteness.
Social market economy now.

Sunny Ekwenugo, Berlin

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 15:32 GMT 16:32 UK

drug addiction is a problem africa should readily accept its disheartening to see that in a country like zambia we dont have rehabilitation centers run by the government to help substance abusers. i think substance abusers need help and we shouldn't judge them rather we should ask ourselves why they took up drugs instead of telling us what their troubles were.the issue shud be what can we do to reduce the number of addicts?where is our part of the blame?help them be better pipo.

Mweemba vanessa Nchimunya, Monze, Zambia

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 15:09 GMT 16:09 UK

What a question? Would you ask a similar question about alcohol or cigarette addicts? Are they not all forms of substance abuse? Doesn't the abuse of alcohol result in the deaths of thousands on the world's highways every year? Doesn't second hand smoke and its attendant health hazards undermine economies by spreading disease and incapacitating otherwise productive citizens? Don't we recommend therapy in either case? Why then should drug addicts be singled out for punishment?

Tito

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 14:51 GMT 15:51 UK

Some wealthy countries consider drug addiction as disability and drug addicted people receive grants. Yet, what happens in the long run? These people develop laziness and poverty attitudes.
Africa needs hard working people to make a difference. I think by being a bit hard on the law will help people to make good decisions for their future.

Matabaro Ziganira, Pietermaritzburg, KZN

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 14:15 GMT 15:15 UK

No they mustn't be punished because they wouldn't be addicts if they could help it. They come from a different socio-economic background. They take recourse to drugs because of different reasons. So we must examine the causes of their drug addiction and then we take it from there.
If I had my say I would legalise drugs. Initially there might be a 'deluge' but then eventually it will settle down and drug addiction would be history.
Of course there won't be any revenue for the Governments.

Virendra, Hobart

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 13:09 GMT 14:09 UK

As africans we need to undersatnd that the problem of drugs is a 21st century social problem which deserves much attention not punishment (clean them not kill destroy them further)
thats the only solution.

Symon Mkandawire, Blantyre (Malawi)

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 12:15 GMT 13:15 UK

In short, no. The "war on drugs" has been an unmitigated disaster. After all the increased police powers, the giant new prisons and the mountains of dead bodies, drugs are as easy to find as ever. Add to that an uncontrollable pandemic of corruption and global gangsterism the likes of which the world has never seen and we must ask ourselves if the cure is worse than the disease. The cartels are now infiltrating politics in developed country's, they want a continuation of this policy.

Thescepticsusuallyright

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 11:46 GMT 12:46 UK

Drug addicts need help to recover. Drug sellers and distributers all belong in jail at the very least and punished very harshly for destruction and waging a war against people ( and nations ). They are murderers. Population needs to be educated strongly about the effects of drugs, not only in health but also who exactly they pay their money. If they dont' change, their only end of this path is death and nothing else, physical and my daring guess, eternal.

kc

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 11:25 GMT 12:25 UK

This is a very enlightning discussion and the various views on this potent issue has helped shape a really interesting topic.

However.

I believe we would achieve more by sourcing the initial "causes" of addictions rather than the sum results, cure the roots not the fruit. Discussing what to do with the addict is similar to trying to prescribe a cure for the body of a dead patient, rather, it is better to diagnose early symptoms and work on those..

Lucas Castle

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 11:08 GMT 12:08 UK

before i go on, i want to know if marijuana is also classified as one of the dangerous drugs.yes i have used it and respect it and also do not abuse it.but i know other drug addicts who uses cocaine and heroin and they are really dangerous.so if marijuana is subject to this issue then i will say drugs addict should be punished thereby protecting the other individual.

perry, accra

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 09:59 GMT 10:59 UK

Some people take drugs coz of depression or lnfluence.Counseling them can help them reform & be responsible.We stayed with a addict b4, but now is a graduate, responsible & working.Demonising addicts makes them worse off.They need to be understood & given direction.We shouldn't stigmatise them, we have to nurture them & change them.Addicts need others to help them reform eg Obama tried cocaine, but today he's US president.We many of such potential whom we can help get out of drugs & take tasks.

Clive Mutame, Lusaka

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 09:00 GMT 10:00 UK

The mafia that control drug markets knowingly spread their drug contagion in places where government control is weak and poverty is rampant. It's no surprise that drugs have infiltrated Africa and Latin America

Joanoli

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that illicit drugs generate roughly $320 billion US a year in revenues, at the retail level. The huge money drug traffickers make in US and EU; nations with strong govts and law encouraged drug traffickers to reach for wider markets

Ekene, Nigeria

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 08:19 GMT 09:19 UK

Let me start small. A nephew of mine came home wailing that someone had pushed him. His mum told him to go right back and either give the offender what-for or shut up. He gave a what-for. From that day to this - no-one pushes Ethan around. We need to stop pampering our youth and giving in to their every demand. We need to put spines in their backs, and the knowledge in their youngs minds that drugs don't pay and that they can make it in life. And the pushers need to be shot dead on sight! Enough

akosua, accra

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 07:20 GMT 08:20 UK

The issue is not about freedom of choice, it's about the safety of the rest of us. This is the same reason drink driving is banned. Yes it limits the basic human right(?) to go out, get drunk and drive home, but it's done to protect the rest of us.

Yes they should be punished. Drugs are dangerous and spoil people's lives in many ways.

[Please-try-again]

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 07:19 GMT 08:19 UK

People should realize that buying drugs they only help drug dealers get richer and more powerful, kill and abuse other people

all those who have "fun" smoking marijuana or taking pills in parties are being part of the corrupted system and they are not aware or they dont care
they should keep taking hard drugs and die at last, and clear out

dolphin