Alarm, as drug-related suicide cases on rise

AS cases of drug-related suicides rocket in Eersterust, the community has called on the government and law enforcement to urgenty intervene to help save hopeless youths who are busy smoking their futures away.

Affected families and other community members want early intervention programmes to curb the prevalence of drug use in the Tshwane township.

The impassioned plea comes after another youngster in the area succumbed to a drug-related suicide, the third such case this year.

Loreal Martins, the aunt of 32 year-old Elrico Ashwin May who passed away last week, said she was devastated by the death of her nephew, who had been battling drug abuse for some time.

Without disclosing how he took his life, Martins said that May was very quiet, loved people and was a fun person to be around, but he somehow got caught up in drugs.

“He's been in and out of rehab numerous times and even had a chip. In the end, the drugs won.”

Martins said the community was in a desperate state as the drugs were destroying families. “If you look around, you shouldn't ask who is using drugs here, instead you have to ask who is not using drugs in Eersterust because that's how bad the situation is now.”

Martins said the community felt the police were simply not doing enough to curb the spread of drugs or to rid the area of known suppliers.

Feziwe Ndwayana, spokesperson of the Gauteng Department of Social Development, said the department had no knowledge of accusations that they only responded to drug abuse when the situation turned “chronic”.

She said that the department would investigate the matter and take it from there.