Drug addict teen speaks out

Mayibuye Sithole (18, not his real name for safety reasons), says he gained an interest in smoking from a very young age, since he was always sent to the shops to buy cigarettes, which made him think it was a cool thing to do.

He wondered what the hype of a smoking cigarette was all about so, one day, he rolled grass in some paper and that is how his journey of substance abuse began.

“I was always sent to go and buy cigarettes for older people, so I became curious about it,” he says.

“I started smoking cigarettes at the age of 10, as I wanted to experiment, and this later led to me smoking weed and now nyaope.

“The only difference from then to now, is that when I smoke I become high, want to sleep, become tired and slow,” .

Due to his excessive use of drugs over the years, the teen found himself joining a gang at the age of 15.

But he still boldly says that no one pressurised him or recruited him to do anything in his life.

He adds that, when he doesn’t smoke he feels fine, as he is able to take his treatment, however, when he starts to smoke it changes him.

Concerned with the way her son’s future was turning out, Sithole’s mother took action to try to get help for him again, and the lad started undergoing treatment in the White City Jabavu the Re-Birth drug rehabilitation programme, where he is currently being treated.

The mother says her son had previously been to other institutions for help but this had failed and, as a result of being unable to stop taking the drugs, they have affected his health.

The mother sadly says that her son is now mentally disturbed and was also recently admitted to hospital because of it.

“When he has smoked you see it and can even hear it in his speech, because he becomes irrational, violent and demands money,” she explains.

“He was a bright boy, but, because of the drugs, he ended up dropping out of school in Grade 10, as he would escape and was eventually referred to a skills school.

“Even his brain has now started functioning slowly,” says his mother.

She adds that this is stressful, because she constantly worries about her child, his safety, where he is and what he is doing.

“All I wish for is to see my son become a successful boy, for him to fix him life and to leave these drugs,” she says.

Sithole mentions that when he misses his friends, he goes to meet them and they always end up smoking, then he ends up avoiding taking his medication.

Mary Stephens, marketing and project manager of the White City Jabavu the Re-Birth drug rehabilitation programme, says this is the story of most of the young drug users in the area they serve.

They will, therefore, use his story as a medium for their outreach programme, in the hope of reaching other young people, like Sithole, from as early as the foundation phase.

“Based on most of our cases, we find that drug use starts early and these children begin with smoking either glue, benzene or cigarettes, then move to dagga, nyaope, heroin and cocaine, among other things,” Stephens says.

“The children will be taught about substances and their effects.

“We also find that our young people are sometimes afraid of quitting, because when they have to start taking treatment, they have to go through a process of detoxing, and that is where they have side effects such as vomiting, sore joints, stomach cramps etc., which are painful for them.”

Through the drug programme, the team also provides the addicts with skills, where they do crafts, and at some point they will get a stipend which will go to their parents or guardians

”The programme also provides counselling for families and a support group for the parents of the addicts,” Stephens says.

”We will also give a pledge to primary school learners to educate them on abstinence, bullying and substance abuse.”

For more information on this programme, the community can email to whitecityjabavurebirth@gmail.com, or call 083 864 5082/074 316 9086/073 378 7354.