Dagga and teens – it should be a joint effort

NELSPRUIT – The term “slowveld” could hold quite a different meaning in light of recent statistics about drug abuse in the region.

According to the director of Lowveld Alcohol and Drug Help Center (Sanca), Marina Erasmus, Mpumalanga may be the greenest of the nine provinces, boasting very high rates of dagga use. The information is based on a report released by the South African Community Epidemiology on Drug Use (SACENDU) from July to December 2012. It states that cannabis is the drug of choice in the province, and 68,5 per cent of all patients in treatment programmes confirm that.

Erasmus says the Lowveld centre treated 167 dagga addicts from April to September this year, and the numbers seem to increase every year. Indeed, agrees Louisa Briedenhann of Healing Wings, who says that they are continuously seeing an increase in dagga abuse, particularly amongst the younger generation. A SACENDU interim report states that 200 patients had sought help for their addiction in the first six months of this year.

“Our children seem to have less hope in their future, which gives them more reason to participate in risky behaviour,” Erasmus explains. She adds that youngsters need better skills and tools to help them navigate the difficulties and choices they face. Briedenhann says, “Parents need to spend more quality time with their children and show a real interest in what the child is thinking and feeling.”

More than one report has reached Lowvelder about local high school children apparently baking and eating so-called space cakes on school premises, “This is not limited to certain schools, we admit teens from all walks of life and both private and public schools,” Erasmus stated.

Is smoking pot really that harmful to your teen?

• Affects Brain Functioning

THC or the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol finds and binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Certain parts of the brain have high concentrations of cannabinoid receptors, including the hippocampus, cerebellum, basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex. The functions these brain areas control are the ones most affected by cannabis.

THC interferes with learning and memory – that is because the hippocampus plays a critical role in certain types of learning. Disrupting its normal functioning can lead to problems such as studying, learning new things and recalling recent events.

It can be a lot more serious than forgetting whether you took out the trash this morning, which happens to everyone once in a while. A recent study found that people aged 13 up to 38 who used marijuana in their teens and continued into adulthood, had a significant drop in IQ even if they quit.

• Don’t worry, be ….?

Long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to motivation.

Researchers from the Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London found that dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lower in people who smoke more cannabis and those who began taking the drug at a younger age.

They suggest this could explain why some cannabis users appear to lack motivation to work or pursue their normal interests.

Erasmus says that many of the local teens that develop a problem with dagga use, also experiment with other substances.

• What a worried parent can do

Addressing the use of dagga by a teenager should be a joint effort by parents, the child and a suitably qualified professional.

Sanca Lowveld, located at 8 Brander Street is a non-profit organisation (NPO) which operates as an autonomous, leading service provider, affiliated since 1972 to the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

They offer in-house treatment options with regular drug testing and counselling. With more serious cases, they can assist with application to rehabilitation centres such as the one located at Swartfontein, Erasmus says.

(Source: teens.drugabuse.gov)

Dagga facts

• South Africans use double the amount of dagga than the average worldwide figure

• Over R3,5 billion is spent annually on dagga purchases in South Africa

• 1 500 metric tons of dagga is used in South Africa annually.

In 2012, Jonathan Caulkins and three other drug policy scholars published a book entitled, Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, identifying the impact of repealing cannabis prohibition on alcohol consumption as “the most important thing no one knows”. Lowvelder asked our Facebook users if they think the sale and use of cannabis should be decriminalised. Here are some of the responses:

Tamas Gyori: It cured my sugar diabetes, it must be legalised.

Charl Flischman: Any substance that alters your mind is dangerous to drive under the influence of, marijuana included. Are you saying you are going to be fast enough to react to a situation? Plus have you ever had to listen to the dagga rokers speak when they high? That could drive anybody to drink.

Uzayr Gaffar: If it’s legal there will be more peace in this country. God made grass. Men made alcohol, who do you trust?

Alexander Dowding: Well considering that 8 per cent of people nationally regularly use cannabis, I too would argue that it is not only pointless to carry on criminalising it but also that the government’s current approach is counterproductive as it actually leads to higher usage rates.

SANCA Lowveld which received R1,1 million from the national lottery board to perform their much-needed services within the local community, rely on public and private donations to render the following services:

Assessments, detoxification, alcohol and drug treatment, school awareness campaigns, support groups, employee assistance programmes, HIV/AIDS educational programmes , HIV/AIDS pre-test and post-test counselling, HIV/AIDS testing, vitamin B. co injections, blood pressure check-ups, multi and single drug urine tests, prevention and awareness programmes, peer counselor training in HIV and AIDS and drug prevention.

Sanca Lowveld extended their services to Daantjie and Barberton. Enquiries: Nelspruit Office on 013-752-4376.

Alternatively, Healing Wings is a private drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre near Sudwala that incorporates both an adult in-patient treatment centre and a separate youth centre, with a registered school, Purpose College, where teenagers are able to engage in a holistic recovery program while completing their schooling. The organisation is also a registered NPO with active community interests.

Please feel free to contact the Healing Wings Youth Centre on 074 375 4514 or Purpose College on 072 140 6081