MBOMBELA -A round-table meeting held by Sanca Lowveld, aimed at helping teachers to identify and curb the growing problem, was held on Wednesday.
About 60 representatives from schools across the Lowveld attended.
What Sanca said:
According to Sanca Lowveld’s director, Marina Erasmus, they reported an increase of drug use in their schools. “The stigma around a certain type of child using drugs is long gone. We have had pastors and teachers who brought their children in.”
The majority of children that are brought to Sanca are in high school, but they have had cases of children as young as 12.
“By the time they come to us, they are regular abusers who use every weekend. It is so bad that we see children between 17 and 18 that are already addicts.”
A big problem is pocket money “because if children get too much money they use it to buy drugs.”
Erasmus added that one of the biggest concerns is the fact that children do not know which drugs they are using.
“They think they are buying dagga, but dealers pre-mix it with things such as heroin, so that they become addicted a lot quicker. If we test them, they will swear that they never used that drug, because drugs are dirty.”
ALSO READ: KYK: Plaaslike kampioen in liggaamsbou praat oor pad na herstel
Which drugs to look out for:
According to Nico Grobler, head of discipline at Hoërskool Nelspruit, the biggest problem in the larger Lowveld towns, is dagga and CAT, while the rural schools struggle more with nyaope. “The children tend to start experimenting with illegal substances between the ages of 16 and 18. This usually goes hand in hand with the use of alcohol.”
Grobler, a former member of Hi-Tech, added that he has seen children using drugs before and after school, but that the problem is predominantly on weekends and at unsupervised parties. “The dealers are organised and hang around the school areas. Their first prize is to get one of the learners to also become a dealer, otherwise, they position themselves as close as possible to the schools.”
The school works closely with both Sanca and the police, and they aim to get parents as involved as far as possible.
ALSO READ: Knives, dagga found on learners in surprise search and seizure operation at school
What parents should do:
According to Erasmus, the number- one solution is informing children on the dangers. “The more information you have, the better choices you can make.”Grobler advised parents to know who their children’s friends are. He added it is better for children to be friends with peers of their own age group, so that they do not feel pressure from older children.
Both insisted that it is important to have access to your child’s phone.
“If you think that your child is using, it is important to not confront them, because it will feel like you are attacking them and they will want to defend themselves. Make sure you have an open line of communication with your child at all times,”
Erasmus said.
ALSO READ: Drug unit head works tirelessly to keep illegal substances off Mbombela streets
How testing in schools work:
All the stakeholders agreed that regular busts and random testings are being done in schools to ensure that the problem is eradicated.
Homemed’s Pieter Claasen, a drug-testing expert, explained that children have the right to refuse a drug test. “A learner needs to give their consent and it needs to be informed consent. It is better to have written consent than oral consent.”
Claasen explained that testing should be done randomly, without any human interference. “Lining children up and picking out one or two of them is not random testing. What you can do, for example, is to throw balls in a bag and if a learner picks a certain colour ball, they are subjected to testing.”
The preliminary tests are done with a urine sample provided by the child. According to Claasen, these tests are not 100 per cent accurate and can, in very rare occasions, give false positives. “But they are a really good indicator if further tests should be done.”
He advised that the same urine sample then be taken to a doctor. Following this, physiological testing should then be done.
What children should know:
According to Erasmus, using starts on a social level. “Children should know who their friend are and what they do. If a child sees a friend using, they should encourage the friend to seek help.”
*For more information, visit the local Sanca branch at 8 Hope Street. They can be phoned on 013-752-4376 or 013-755-2710, or be contacted via email at info@sancalowveld.co.za. You can also visit their website on www.sancalowveld.co.za.
