ALFRED TEMBOwrites
@SunZambian
THE rate at which young people are frequenting drinking halls and abusing alcohol in Nyimba district’s Chipembe area has worried the area councillor.
Area councillor, Moses Lungu, said the trend by the youth is alarming and that it would seriously affect the development in the area if left unchecked.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun, Mr. Lungu said, he was aware that there were several drinking places operating illegally and engaging young people to sell in their bars and taverns.
“We have observed an increased in young people selling in bars,” said Mr. Lungu.
“It is a pity, instead of these young people feeling happy about being in school, they are instead getting involved in prostitution, alcohol abuse, smoking among other illicit activities,” he said.
“It is this lack of positive peer education that is eroding our efforts to inspire good morals in the young people,” said Mr. Lungu.
Mr. Lungu observed that attaining development in the district would be difficult if most young people are exposed to illicit activities.
“I am worried about how these young people will grow up to be,” he said.
He called on the district council to conduct a door-to-door inspections of the drinking places in the district in order to stop the illegalities happening there.
Mr. Lungu said, “Majority of the bars are operating illegally.”
He said that he had engaged the community action group on the issue and is looking forward to forming a task force team that would help stop underage drinking in the district.
