Zimbabwe fights higher drug abuse cases, especially among youth

A billboard warns of the dangers of drug use, in Harare, Zimbabwe, June 25, 2024. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA) Oscar Pambuka says he thanks God for his incarceration after recently being released from jail, where he was serving a sentence for drug use, in Harare, Zimbabwe, June 25, 2024. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)

Officials in Zimbabwe, which is facing a growing problem of substance abuse — especially among unemployed youth, say arrests have surged in 2024, with close to 2,400 people taken into custody so far.