We should expand our efforts against drug abuse

There is a growing realisation that alcohol and drug abuse contribute to the rapid increase in social ills such as child and women abuse, as well as human trafficking globally.

South Africa is not immune from this phenomenon, with the World Health Organisation stating that “drug abuse remains a growing problem in South Africa … and is costing the country R20-billion a year and could pose a bigger threat to the country’s future than the Aids pandemic.”

In the quest to eradicate this chronic problem, successive postapartheid governments developed policies and took practical steps to address the challenge.

Among others, the country developed and institutionalised the National Drug Master Plan, the blueprint for fighting substance abuse and drug addiction in South Africa.

The aim is to prevent the spread of the scourge and to rehabilitate addicts by ensuring that they do not relapse into their old habits and that they lead a fit and healthy lifestyle.

To this end, Gauteng province developed the Accelerated Social Transformation Strategy 2030 which gives effect to the Gauteng city region anti-substance abuse social movement campaign, and established local drug action committees, whose primary role is to coordinate and to implement the drug master plan in cooperation with municipalities.

These structures are located within communities and comprise of organised groupings such as community-based organisations, inter-faith representatives, school governing bodies, business and labour organisations, including civil society.

Withe the passing of the 2017 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, it is of critical importance to critique some of the initiatives taken by the Gauteng provincial government to fight the scourge of drug abuse and addiction in keeping with the national goals.

An official analysis of this intervention revealed that some measure of success has been achieved through various antisubstance abuse measures.

These included educational schools programmes, school searches, drug and alcohol awareness workshops, local crime prevention blitzes and door-to-door campaigns, among others.

It is essential to conduct comprehensive studies so that we can have a better understanding of the problem. This step will enable us to develop appropriate policy interventions and to allocate resources.

This complex issue is relevant to current national debates. Thus provinces should share ideas and generate new perspectives in order to find workable solutions.

Whether I’m right or not, fighting drug abuse is itself a subject of great debate, which will always attract a range of opinions.

We must remain steadfast in our commitment to tackle alcohol and drug abuse. These ideas should prove invaluable as we have a monumental task ahead of us as the country seeks to stop this invasive cancer.

Building on what has been achieved in the past, we should continue to expand our efforts against drug abuse.

Given the scope of substance abuse, the struggle against drug abuse requires coalition-building, and the pooling of resources to ensure the promotion of safe communities . It calls for unity and demands an active and positive participation by all.