‘DRUG abuse and availability are now out of control – wonga, heroin, cocaine, you name it.’
‘But there is very little we can do.’
These are the disturbing words of a local police captain, voicing his frustration with the woes of a typical harbour city and an influx of foreigners and locals jumping on the bandwagon, targeting younger and younger prey.
‘When we catch them, they just swallow whatever they have or throw it away and we can’t prove possession.’
While arrests are made, securing convictions is a totally different matter.
A local father, who wishes to remain anonymous, said his teenage son was pulled into the seedy underworld world like a moth to a flame.
Being a loner and battling with learning disabilities, he struggled to find acceptance.
But as he started hanging around at the beach, he was quickly befriended by an older crowd and his behaviour changed for the worse.
‘In August 2012, the cat was let out of the bag. My son was a full-blown drug addict at the age of 15,’ said the father.
‘He started smoking dagga, then moved to ecstasy and cocaine and from there it was downhill all the way.
‘He feared nothing, gained confidence to talk to people and even started selling for dealers.’
Lies, deception and theft
‘Suddenly, nothing was safe in the house.
‘Addicts are crafty and will sell off anything valuable like laptops, mountain bikes and clothes.
‘You have to get rid of alcohol and anything tempting them to relapse.
‘He admitted his involvement, agreed to go to rehab and was willing to cooperate in every way.
‘But his youth has been tarnished and he is not the child he used to be at all.
‘Locally we do not have the facilities, knowledge and experience to help children in similar situations.
‘Even after rehab he was rejected because he looks different, talks different and is regarded as a bad influence.
‘He spend 12 months in a fantastic rehabilitation centre, where they believe in the ‘blackout method,’which means no medication, outside influences, cigarettes or music.
‘The discipline is strict, they attend school, have therapeutic horse riding and only coffee is allowed.
‘When he came out, we had to deal with the stigma and outside onslaught.
‘Forel Alley is a big gathering place for users, runners and kids of all echelons of society.
‘They are dancing with the devil.’
