Taking a stand against addiction
SANCA Durban says the community needed to band together to fight the disease of addiction.
THE focus will be on alcohol and drug abuse during SANCA Week which runs from 23 to 27 June, coinciding with The International Day Against Drug and Illicit Drug Trafficking on 26 June.
According to Carol du Toit, director of SANCA, the incidence of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth continues to rise at an alarming rate.
A positive approach to this challenge was evident on the Youth Day commemoration on 16 June at SANCA Durban’s Warman House, a treatment centre for substance dependent youth aged between 13 and 18 years. Young people, currently in treatment were actively involved in the planning of the programme, and highlighted their new-found self-confidence and commitment to embracing a drug free lifestyle.
“The demand for services at both in- and out-patient clinics has continued to rise and it has become necessary to provide a wider range of treatment options. The increase in drug and alcohol abuse in peri-urban and rural areas is deeply concerning, particularly in view of the fact that resources are scarce. There is an urgent need for both prevention and treatment programmes in these areas. An increased focus on gender specific programmes for women and girls is a further area which has been identified as requiring urgent attention,” said Du Toit.
She said the message of hope in the 2014 theme, drug use disorders are preventable and treatable, was most apt for communities in which addiction remains highly stigmatised.
“The destructive effect of alcohol and drug abuse is undoubtedly eroding the very fabric of our communities and retarding development at all levels as is evidenced by the increase in substance abuse and related social and physical pathologies. All SANCA Durban’s programmes are aimed at combating the serious consequences of alcohol and drug addiction,” she said.
She said the community and families would need to join together in a focused strategy to successfully combat the destructive disease of addiction.
Contact sancadbn@mweb.co.za or 031 202 2241/74.
