Programme director
Honourable MEC for Social Development
Mme Nonkosi Mvana; Representatives of the Central Drug Authority (CDA); Representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Representatives of civil society, religious and community organisations; Invited guests
Young people of Buffalo City Municipality
Ladies and gentlemen
The year 2010 marks 34 years of 16 June 1976, when the fearless young learners of Soweto risked their lives for the liberation of this country. Armed with nothing but their petrol bombs and liberation songs, they confronted the monstrous apartheid regime determined to take charge of their future.
Like the youth of 1976 who gathered in their numbers to confront their common enemy of discriminatory education system, we are assembled here today to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This gathering is an expression of our determination to free our society from the evil clutches of a common enemy, the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse that continue to cause many untold miseries to individuals and families.
This gathering is also an expression of our government and our people’s determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of a drug-free society. June 26 has been designated by the General Assembly of the United Nations as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This was in response to a mandate to generate universal action dealing with the issues surrounding drug abuse as well as to provide an avenue for the expression of the collective commitment of the United Nation Member States to combat the problem of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in all its forms. The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Think health – not drugs”.
The theme aims to inform the public, particularly young people, about the harmful effects that drugs can have on their health. As a Department of Social Development, working with other stakeholders such as the Central Drug Authority (CDA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), we have chosen to commemorate this significant occasion here in Mdantsane because we want to begin a process of focusing on the socio-economic challenges faced by the community here.
In recognition of this significant occasion, I would like to share a few thoughts with you, particularly with parents and young people of the Eastern Cape province, in whose hands rest the key to the elimination of the scourge of drug abuse and its associated problems from our beautiful country. This occasion takes on greater significance due to the fact that it is being held after the commemoration of Youth Day when President Zuma committed our government under the leadership of the African National Congress to work alongside young people in redefining the factors fundamental for true and real youth development. Although the enormity of the challenges that our government and our youth face appear insurmountable at times, we must maintain that our greatest asset is the determination and commitment of our people to surmount all difficulties and take our nation onward.
Today as we are gathered here I want to make a clarion call to all our people, in particular the youth to refrain from taking drugs and misusing alcohol as it is very harmful to their health and has the potential to destroy their future. It is therefore critical that when we commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking that we do so with renewed vigour and determination like the class of 1976. Our youth today must rise to the challenges confronting our society and demonstrate in a tireless effort that we are serious about building a caring and a drug-free society.
Honourable MEC Mvana, ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that the level of drug and alcohol abuse has reached unacceptable levels in our country. One of the most worrying issues is that our country has to contend with its image as one of the world’s largest market for illegal drugs trade. What is more worrying is that these drugs are targeted particularly at young people in our society.
The South African National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) has reported an alarming increase in the number of children seeking treatment for drug addiction. We are very concerned about the increasing easy availability of drugs in our communities. This leads to instability in our families, as drugs are a casual factor for crimes perpetuated in the main by young people. We must strengthen our resolve to work together to rid our streets, schoolyards and playgrounds of drugs and alcohol.
Yesterday officials of the Department of Social Development, local councillors and volunteers including Masupatsela Youth Pioneers visited a number of taverns, shebeens and local taxi ranks in Mdantsane to raise awareness about the dangers of substance and alcohol abuse. The visit forms part of our planned activities for the national Drug Awareness Week and as build up activities to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking today.
Like in other parts of the country, alcohol remains the dominant substance of abuse in the Eastern Cape province. Twenty six percent (26%) of patients admitted to specialist treatment centres had cannabis as their primary or secondary drug of abuse, compared to 14% of cannabis or mandrax. In 2009, the proportion of treatment admissions with cannabis as a primary drug of abuse increased significantly. Treatment admissions for cocaine related problems had shown an increase of sixteen percent (16 %) of patients in treatment. Tik treatment as a primary or secondary drug of choice fortunately still remains low. The abuse of over the counter (OTC) and prescription medicines such as slimming tablets and analgesics continues to be a growing phenomenon. According to NICRO, of the 210 clients referred for their services, 27% were for drug related offences and 73% use drug daily. Forty eight (48%) were under the age of 18 years. According to SANCA East London, 963 outpatient clients were counselled for substance abuse related cases in 2009.
Ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that given the enormity of substance abuse in our country, the most effective tool to combat drug abuse is to strengthen prevention programmes because prevention is the only cure. At the same time, we need to ensure that our treatment programmes are effective to help those who are already in the cycle of drug-abuse.
When people become involved with drugs, it leads all too often to suffering-not only for the addicts but also for their relatives and friends. This is especially true when it comes to the issue of drug and alcohol abuse. Every day around us we see the ill-effects of the abuse of drugs, whether it be alcohol, marijuana, crack, cocaine or other similar substances. We see these effects in many different places and in many different forms; on the individual, in the family, in the workplace, in our schools and on our roads to name a few.
It is our highest priority to work together with all concerned to prevent drug abuse and the harm that drugs can and do cause to families and society in general. One way in which we can effectively prevent drug abuse among young people, is by giving them self-confidence and the strength, skills and abilities to say no to drugs. This is the cornerstone of the “Ke moja-I’m fine without drugs campaign”.
Today I want to urge each and every one of us to treat drug and alcohol abuse as a serious national problem. Known drug dealers in our communities must be reported to law enforcement authorities. As South Africans, we must take the lead in protecting both our country and the hard-won freedom from the destructive elements that are eating at the moral and social fabric of society. We have also need to work together with law enforcement authorities to enforce drug laws to stem and seize the flow of illicit drugs. At the same time we need strengthen regional cooperation to combat the cross-border flow of illicit drugs.
We, the generation of today, have the much-needed information to defeat this enemy, which has ended lives and continues to be a source of pain for many abused women and children. When the Freedom Charter proclaimed: “The People Shall Govern” – it meant that all of us, in unity, must take responsibility to make South Africa a better and a safer place for all to live in.
In the context of our challenges today, it means that we must never allow drug lords or the mafias to run this country. They must know that we, the people, are in charge and we will never surrender South Africa to anybody who seeks to maximise profit at the peril of the people, especially our children and young people. Together we must send a strong message to criminals: serious drug crime will mean serious time in jail.
Whereas we need to be tough on criminals, we need to be compassionate towards those addicted to drugs. Children and adults who abuse drugs and alcohol must be helped at an early stage to stop the habit and to return their lives to normality. Most importantly, families must confront the problem of denial which perpetuates the scourge. Early intervention is delayed as family members refuse to accept that one of their own could be using or abusing drugs or is an alcoholic.
One very serious problem which is exacerbated by drug use is that of sexually transmitted infections, particularly HIV and AIDS. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) drug abuse is one of the major contributory factors in the spread of HIV infections. Research done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has continuously shown that drugs and alcohol abuse interfere with judgment about sexual behaviour thereby engaging in unplanned and unprotected sex. This increases the risk for contracting HIV from infected sex partners.
On this day, we are all called upon to embrace personal responsibility and to act in ways befitting our purpose to live each day as best as we can, thereby contributing to our own development as well as that of our society. The Department of Social Development and in fact the entire government is dedicated to minimising and eventually eliminating the problems which we are currently facing as a result of drug and alcohol abuse. In its resolutions, the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress called for a concerted national effort to rid our country of drug problems by escalating poverty eradication, education and other development programmes.
It is for this reason that we are currently reviewing the institutional arrangement of the Central Drug Authority with the view to strengthen and optimise its functioning. The CDA is a body set up specifically to advise government on drug related issues and to implement the National Drug Master Plan 2006-2011. As the Honourable MEC Mvana has said, our government is very concerned about the damage and pain that drugs cause families and we take this issue very seriously.
It is for this reason that our new legislation, the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse Act (Act No. 70 of 2008) places particular emphasis on education and prevention, especially among young people and their parents, about the negative effects – health and otherwise – of illicit drugs. Together, we can help our young people make healthy choices.
Social Development is the lead government department in reducing the demand for illegal drugs. Our services include prevention, early intervention, referrals, treatment which include community based or residential treatment and aftercare services to assist patients with their re-integration into their families and communities. As I mentioned earlier, the majority of government departments form an integral part of the action against drugs, within the Central Drug Authority and are guided by the key activities as outlined in the National Drug Master Plan. What we need to do as a matter of urgency is to strengthen the Provincial and Local Substance Abuse Forums to ensure a more coordinated response from the grassroots level.
I am pleased that leaders of the faith based organisations and traditional leaders have joined us here today because we also rely on churches and community leaders to create an awareness of the evils of substance abuse and the negative effect this has on individuals and society. We need to build strong partnerships with all sectors of society to focus on rebuilding the family as the basic unit of society, on creating communities with strong moral values, on creating communities that will resist the temptations substance abuse bring, so that we can forge the kind of society that will bring a better life for all our people.
As parents we all have an important role to play in educating our children about the dangers associated with drugs. It is vital for us as parents 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 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 wait until it is too late.
Our government is pleased to commemorate the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking because it provides an opportunity to renew our commitment to taking collective action against illicit drugs. Our government will continue to work with various community groups, non-government organisations and international partners such as the UNODC in implementing the National Drug Master Plan.
I would like to end by challenging each of you to take action today – the 2010 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking theme states ‘Choose health- not drugs’. Each of us as parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, teachers, religious and community leaders, members of the media, government officials, including teachers, social workers, healthcare workers, local councillors and law enforcement officials, has a responsibility to young people in our communities to ensure they grow up in a society free of drugs. Your individual actions each and every day will help our children remain drug free.
I thank you.
Source: Department of Social Development (http://www.dsd.gov.za)
