Massive strides are being made in the continuous war against drug and substance abuse in the metro.
According to DA Gauteng leader John Moodey, so far more than 2 300 people have enrolled in the community-oriented substance use programme (COSUP), while 12 000 others have benefited from intensive interventions.
A further 40 000 have been reached through awareness and outreach campaigns and 92 rehabilitating substance users are being provided with skills training.
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COSUP, which recently partnered with the city, aims to help Tshwane residents through different sites that are being set up in a bid to rescue substance users from drug dependency.
Moodey said the fight against drugs could not be won overnight but work was underway to ensure that as many affected people as possible are assisted.
“The city aims to help rehabilitated drug users get jobs in order to reintegrate them back into our communities,” said Moodey.
Moodey said R40 million had been allocated towards supporting non-government organisations to assist those who are affected by drug and substance abuse.
Local drug action committees and a care buddies programme have been established to allow good Samaritans to engage with substance users in such a way that they will be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community.
Moodey said efforts to fight drug abuse within the metro included, a dedicated TMPD anti-drug unit, an anti-drug summit held last year with special focus on supply, demand and harm reduction of drugs.
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A drop-in centre has also been opened in the notorious Brown Street in the CBD and a 24-hour hopeline has been launched to offer unfettered assistance to those affected by drug and substance abuse.
Coordinated monthly operations set to go on for the entire year targeting known drug dens are also being conducted, with one held at the beginning of the month in Pretoria West, yielding the arrest of two drug dealers.
Moodey said the fight against the drug abuse scourge that is crippling communities would continue, and called for citywide support.
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