This gathering is an expression of our determination to free our society from the evil clutches of a common enemy- the scourge of substance abuse that continue to cause many untold miseries to individuals, families and communities and the society in general.
This seminar is therefore relevant as a response to the prevention of substance abuse in our province.
Substance abuse influences all spheres of life and reaches across social, racial, cultural, religious and gender barriers and directly or indirectly affects everyone.
The link of substance abuse to other social ills like crime, unemployment, reduced productivity, foetal alcohol syndrome, HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence, poverty, dysfunctional families and many other social ills has been should never be under estimated. These undermine our efforts to build a safe and healthy society.
The department has partnerships with various NPOs, community based organisations (CBOs) and faith based organisations (FBOs) to assist in combating substance abuse.
The majority of government departments form an integral part of the action against substance abuse and are guided by the key activities as outlined in the National Drug Master Plan.
We therefore need to strengthen the Provincial Substance Abuse Forum to ensure a more coordinated response from the grassroots level through the Local Drug Action Committees.
The management of alcohol and drug abuse and misuse must be approached from a macro perspective that focuses on prevention and early intervention programmes, as well as programmes that will change the mind set and behaviour from an early age. Research indicates that the age of onset for experimentation with alcohol and drugs has dropped to nine years.
Secondly it must be managed from a multi-dimensional, perspective and the response to the problem must be integrated.
In view of the situation that is facing our province it has become urgent for the Department of Health and Social Development to draft Integrated Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Strategy.
The development of the strategy is inspired by the need to sharpen awareness that substance abuse destroys individuals, families and communities.
Therefore, the strategy will provide for holistic, developmental, appropriate and integrated programmes of prevention, treatment, re-integration and after care services.
The strategy will intensify the efforts to combat substance abuse in the province by ensuring that substance abuse programmes are prioritised and resources are allocated appropriately. It will also bring into effect the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan.
We have trained 306 officials and service providers on Ke Moja Drug Prevention programme to intensify the fight against the scourge of substance abuse in schools.
We have also extended the in-patient treatment programme at Dr Fabian and Florence Ribeiro to admit girl children under the age of 18 with substance abuse problem.
In addition, we have embarked on holiday programs during school Holidays to educate learners about negative effects of substance abuse.
According to South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug UseSACENDU) statistics for period January to June 2010, 2684 patients in Gauteng were treated for substance abuse at specialist treatment centres, 44 percent patients over the age of 20 reported alcohol as their primary substance of abuse and 13 percent of patients under 20 reported alcohol as their primary substance of abuse, 27 percent patient over 20 reported dagga as their drug of choice and 63 percent of patients under 20 reported dagga as their drug of choice.
There is a worrying trend of the abuse of Nyaope (mixture of dagga and heroine), rattex, blue death, koek soda, birth control tablets including ARVs. There are no reliable statistics to determine the scale of abuse of these drugs.
There is also a notable increasing trend of young women doing drugs. Teenage pregnancy is also on the increase.
The President Mr Jacob Zuma reiterated during the recently held biennial substance abuse summit that, “We need more energy in the fight against drug abuse and drug peddling in our communities. I have directed our police force to deal decisively with people who sell drugs to children. We will also not tolerate tavern owners who sell alcohol to children”.
To this end we will work together with the Department of Economic Development to close down shebeens and taverns that are within close proximity to schools, crèches and churches.
The Minister for Social Development emphasised that tackling substance abuse problem requires cooperative action between government and the support and involvement of all sectors of our society.
Parents have an important role to play in educating children about the dangers associated with drugs. It is vital to support our teenage boys and girls and to make sure that they have the necessary education and support to deal with the challenges of life. We need to be vigilant and open lines of communication between us and our children. Parents are also plays an important role in the treatment and recovery process. Successful treatment outcomes often depend on the degree of support provided by the family. Let us all act now and not waituntil it is too late.
In conclusion I believe that collectively we can make a difference. Let us unite in our efforts and work closely together to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it and most importantly, let us ensure a better life for all our people especially our youth.
While forums such as these are vital, we must guard against turning them into mere talk shows. Let us together develop programmes which will influence our community to effectively deal with the scourge of substance abuse.
I thank you.
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
