Give that habit the boot

The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) Witbank challenges readers to stop something they really love for one week, whether it is eating chocolate, drinking coffee, smoking tobacco or even shopping.

The #KickYourHabit campaign is aimed at raising awareness at the complexities surrounding addiction and dependence and seeks to build awareness through experience.

This call is to promote Drug Awareness Week running from June 22 to 28.

“By giving up one habit that gives you pleasure, you can experience what a substance-dependent may go through during treatment,” said Mr Thembinkosi Singwane, social worker supervisor from SANCA.

He said with experience comes education, and this is the ultimate aim of the campaign.

Participants are encouraged to keep a daily log which could even be an online blog, of their progress, including cravings and physical and emotional challenges while experiencing withdrawals. They can use C.

“The public participation campaign also aims to confront the stigma attached to substance abuse, with the understanding that anyone can become an addict,” Singwane said. 

Substance dependency statistics show the average age of drug dependence in South Africa is 12-years and decreasing.

According to the recent statistics of Witbank SANCA rendered services to 45 children, 182 youths and 41 adults, which includes three persons over the age of 60 during the first half of the year. 

“Many people are unaware of the difficulties faced by people living with substance use disorders when first entering treatment and the long-term fight they face over the years after treatment,” Singwane said.

Substance dependency statistics show that drug consumption (cannabis, cocaine, and Tik) in South Africa is twice the global average and second to none in Africa (UN World Drug Report, 2014). South Africa is among the top 10 narcotics and alcohol a busers in the world. For every 100 people, 15 have a drug problem and for every 100 Rands in circulation, 25Rands are linked to the substance abuse problem is the findings by the Christian Addiction Support in 2016. 

Drug and Alcohol dependency is destabilising the fabric of South African society and is often linked to other social ills such as violent crime, gender-based violence, child abuse, and the ever-increasing HIV/AIDS incidence rates. 

Dr Paul Seale, Mercer University School of Medicine, USA, researched drug use in South Africa and found that 13.3% of the South African population had used drugs during their lifetime, resulting in substance abuse in 3.9% of people and dependence in 0.6% of the population. 

“There were high levels of inhalant use among youth,” he said. 

He also found that there was also a noticeable increase in the use of over-the-counter and prescription medicines, especially by young people, which includes the highest use of methaqualone (mandrax/Quaalude) in the world.

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