Illicit ‘junta’ killing youths in Zambia
Written by Millennium on June 2, 2019
SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes
@SunZambian
SOME alcoholic spirits packaged in small bottles, commonly known as Junta, have become a part of life for most young people in Zambia which are also decimating them in good numbers.
Some youths told the Sun that because Junta was cheap it easily sent individuals who took it into a drunken stupor within minutes.
Lazarus Kombe, a youth of John Laing compound in Lusaka said many young people had resorted to drinking potent beverages due to lack of employment.
“Most of us drink as a way of drowning our sorrows in such kinds of drinks. We also love these brands because we cannot afford to buy the expensive safe ones that some people buy,” he said.
Mr. Kombe said that most youths were struggling to make ends meet hence a number of them having turned to small businesses.
“At times we drink whatever we can lay our hands on and these cheap beers normally find their way in our hands. The spirits in small bottles have become young people’s favorite because there is nothing to keep us busy,” he said.
He further said that some consumers had become alcoholics as they were forced to engage in daily drinking sprees to drown their sorrows and frustrations.
Some of the youths acknowledged the negative effects of consuming such alcoholic beverages frequently but could not avoid it due to lack of jobs.
“Empower us by giving us loans or jobs and most of us will stop spending most of our times abusing alcohol,” he said.
