SA drug abuse trends paint a grim picture

“Drug use among the country’s youth is rife and unfortunately continues to escalate,” said Shelley Andersen, accredited addictions counsellor at Akeso Clinic Umhlanga.

The average age of experimentation in South Africa is 12 – and decreasing. While the age of patients undergoing treatment in Gauteng ranged from 9 to 82, the proportion of patients aged 10 to 19 increased to 29 per cent, according to the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use report –  March 2017

She said already in 2010 a study by Reddy et al reported that 12 per cent of all South African learners had used at least one illegal drug such as heroin, mandrax and cocaine.

This figure is one of the highest in the African region.  Studies show that people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics.

• Trends

Current trends among the youth are the drop in ages to 12, the resurgence of mandrax (Methaqualone), and also the fact that the youth struggle to see the dangers and effects of marijuana (Nkowane et al., 2004) and alcohol.

“Youth issues largely prevalent include bullying, peer pressure, stress, depression, anxiety, anger, self-harming, low self-worth and suicide attempts. Many learners report that they have been either offered, sold or given illicit drugs at schools.”

• Double the world norm

She said South Africa’s drug problem, however, extends far beyond our youth, with substance abuse even affecting people in their eighties.

“South Africa is among the top 10 narcotics and alcohol abusers in the world – twice that of the world norm,” said Dr David Bayever of South Africa’s Central Drug Authority (CDA).

According to him, at least 15 per cent of South Africans have a drug problem and this number is expected to rise.

Bronwyn Meyers, chief specialist scientist in the alcohol and drug abuse unit of the South African Medical Research Council states that 11 per cent (5.7million people) of the South African population will suffer from an addiction disorder in their lifetime.

Statistics reported by the United Nations World Drug Report of 2014 indicates that 7.06 per cent of South Africa’s population abuses narcotics of some kind, and one in every 14 people are regular users.

• Most commonly abused drugs

Recent reports from the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use suggest that among our youth cannabis, alcohol and tobacco are the most commonly abused substances.

The SA National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey found that 15 per cent of pupils admitted to using over-the-counter drugs to get high.

The same study found that 11.5 per cent of pupils had tried at least one drug, such as heroin, mandrax, sugars (a mix of residual cocaine and heroin) or tik.

• Health

 “Drug use can cause serious health problems and may also have serious mental health consequences,” cautioned Andersen.

Moreover, drug use, including smoking, can lead to diseases that can be fatal, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and lung disease

“A person on drugs is also more likely to have accidents while driving, at work, at home, at parties. Drug use can make people angry and violent.

“Worse still, drug use can make people with depression feel worse—sometimes to the point that they become suicidal. Drug overdoses can kill people and this rate is also escalating worldwide.

Treatment

Andersen said the demand for evidence based, best practise treatment services has increased significantly.

This said, there are many effective treatment options available for treatment.

“Akeso Psychiatric Clinic Group, for example, works off the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) model which is proving to have good results as it incorporates a far more realistic, less rigid, more humanistic approach and is more skills based than the traditional Minnesota Model of treatment utilised in South Africa.”

“Family therapy is vitally important, especially for adolescents. Involvement of a family member or significant other in an individual’s treatment programme can strengthen and extend treatment benefits, stresses Andersen.

“Trying to locate appropriate treatment for a loved one, especially finding a program tailored to an individual’s particular needs, can be a difficult process, but Akeso has a 24hour dedicated helpline to assist in this process.”

• SHOCKING FACTS

• Children who have one alcoholic parent have a 60 per cent chance of becoming one. This percentage rises to 80 per cent if both parents are alcoholics
• 50 per cent of Grade 11 learners admitted that they have used alcohol in the last year
• School kids who use alcohol or drugs are three  times more involved with violent crimes
• 31 per cent of school learners drink socially
• 60 per cent of Grade 8-11 learners in Cape schools that misuse alcohol had to repeat their grade
• By the age of 18 more than 60 per cent of teenagers has become drunk. 30 per cent had used school time or work time to drink
• In 2007 there was a clear increase in patients under 20 years, who came for treatment for dagga addiction
• 35 per cent of high schools kids are problem drinkers who drink at least nine units’ spirits, one litre wine or two litres of beer
• In 2008 it was reported that 12 years before 2 per cent of patients in rehab centres were under 20 years of age. In 2008 the number increased to 20 per cent. Most were addicted to tik (meth), dagga and heroin
• According to research done in May 2008, 20 per cent of 14 year old boys and nearly half of 17 year old boys drank in the previous month. Girls’ was a bit lower with 18 per cent of 14 year olds and 35 per cent of 17 year olds in the same period

Tell-tale signs

Young people with drug problems may act differently than they used to. They may, for example:

• isolate;
• lose interest in their favourite things;
• poor hygiene , not bathing, changing clothes, or brushing their teeth;
• be either really tired and sad or very energetic;
• talk fast or say things that do not make sense;
• may be nervous or anxious
• mood swings  – quickly change between feeling bad and feeling good’
• sleep at strange hours
• eat a lot more or a lot less than usual
• poor relationships
• miss appointments or social gatherings
• bunk school or work