MBOMBELA – Substance abuse is not only skyrocketing in South Africa, but also in the Lowveld. According to the Lowveld’s Alcohol and Drug Help Centre (LADHC), also known as Sanca, the local branch was one of the few which reported that dagga use was higher than that of alcohol.
Although alcohol is the primary substance abuse reported at the majority of Sanca organisations, statistics revealed that 40 per cent of its clients in treatment indicated that dagga was their primary substance of abuse in 2013/14. This reflects a drastic increase of nine percentage points from last year.
Furthermore, stats from the World Health Organisation shocked as they revealed that drug consumption in South Africa was twice the world norm and that 15 per cent of South Africa’s population had a drug problem. South Africa over the past decade also saw the age of first experimentation with drugs dropping to ten years and younger.
SANCA’s national communications developer and trainer, Clara Monnakgota recently expressed her concern regarding the problem and mentioned it was especially a worry in schools.
“Substance abuse is a barrier to education and we need communities to come on board and participate more. People should also take ownership of issues such as drug trafficking and -dealing in communities,” she said.
Monnakgota also emphassed the important role parents play in fighting this problematic issue. “Parents should monitor children continuously and look out for warning signs.” According to her, children’s growth can seriously be affected and brain damage can also occur, especially if drugs are used before the age of 20.
The drugs of choice according to Monnakgota are cigarettes, alcohol, dagga and Nyaope.
SANCA’s 2013/14 stats furthermore revealed that 40 per cent of the people being treated at SANCA’s offices were using dagga, while nine per cent were using heroin and six per cent TIK. According to Monnakgota drug abuse usually starts with experimenting with cigarettes and the main reason for taking drugs is curiosity, for excitement purposes, but also out of boredom. “It can also be as a result of poverty or affluence, not to mention peer pressure,” Monnakgota added.
Interesting facts
Dagga
Short-term effects
• Drowsiness and reflective mode
• Confusion, restlessness, excitement, hallucinations with higher doses
• Flushed face, redness of eyes, dilated pupils
• Tendency to giggle and be talkative
• Increased hunger and thirst
Long-term effects
• Learning difficulty
• Increased risk of infection
• Liver damage
• Loss of libido, infertility, foetal damage
• Abnormal weight change.
Heroin
According to SANCA, heroin is five to eight times stonger than morphine, from which it is derived. It is smuggled in from Pakistan, India, Far East, Iran and Turkey and has the greatest dependence potential of the narcotic analgesics. Due to its potency, heroin causes both severe physical and psychological addiction.
Short-term effects
• Decrease in appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Slow, slurred speech
• Impaired concentration
• Euphoria and sense of well-being
• Lowered body temperature
Long-term effects
• Depression and lack of motivation
• Heart failure and stroke
• Amputation and gangrene
• Impaired judgement
• Death
• Street names: H, horse, smack, brown sugar, elephant, dragon.
TIK
According to SANCA, TIK is a powerful stimulant which is used as an appetite suppressant which also generates feelings of euphoria and sensations of surging energy.
Dangers
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Damaged blood vessels
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Chronic paranoid psychosis
• Depressive mood
• Suicide
• Stroke
• Death
• Street names: Speed, straw, bio-tik, tweaking, choeff
SA drug statistics (World Health Organisation)
• According to SAPS figures, 60 per cent of crimes nationally were related to substance abuse. In the Western Cape, the figure was closer to 80 per cent.
The perpetrators of these crimes are either under the influence of substances, or trying to secure money for their next fix.
• In 2004, government disbanded the SA Narcotics Bureau (Sanab), a dedicated drug-fighting unit within the SAPS that had achieved some notable successes. Since its closure, drug-related crimes have increased exponentially – in fact by 30 per cent.
• The recently-released United Nations World Drug Report had named South Africa as one of the drug capitals of the world.
• Drug arrests leapt from 300 in 2006 to 1 500 in 2012 in Cape Town.
• In 2006, 2,52 million people used dagga and this increased to 3,2 million in 2008. (CDA)
• South Africans use twice as much dagga as the average worldwide figure.
Over R3,5 billion is spent annually by South Africans to purchase dagga.
For more information, advice or support, visit Lowveld Alcohol and Drug Help Centre (LADHC) SANCA office at Hopestreet 4, Mbombela or call
013-752-4376.
