When unemployment, heartbreak, family problems and the pressure to fit in start piling up, Sheila Tusiime wants young people to know that turning to “Ice,” a street name for crystal methamphetamine, is not the way out.
The Ugandan journalist and news anchor took to X with a message aimed at young people, acknowledging the pressure they face while encouraging them to stay away from the drug.
I know pressure is real. Unemployment, heartbreak, family stress, wanting to belong. I hear you. But “Ice” is not a solution. It’s a trap.
Tusiime also called on parents to look beyond punishment and talk to their children about what is happening in their lives.
Please talk. Not shouting, not beating, talk. Ask “how are you really?” Check their sleep, their mood, their friend circle.
She wants that conversation to begin at home, where young people should feel free to admit when they are struggling.
Create a home where they can say “I’m not okay” without fear.
It is a message that fits naturally with the work Tusiime already does around mental wellness and young people.
Alongside anchoring “Live at 9” on NBS Television, she hosts “Mind Your Head,” a mental health platform and podcast.
> TO THE YOUTH:
I know pressure is real. Unemployment, heartbreak, family stress, wanting to belong. I hear you. But “Ice” is not a solution. It’s a trap.
> TO THE PARENTS:
Please talk. Not shouting, not beating, talk. Ask “how are you really?” Check their sleep, their mood,…
— Sheila Tusiime (@TusiimeSheila) September 7, 2026