SANCA National Drug And Alcohol Awareness Week starts today

For this reason, SANCA National Drug and Alcohol Awareness week will be taking place this week, 24 - 28 June 2013. The week coincides with the United Nations International Drug Day on 26 June. The official global slogan for the international day is 'Make health your new high in life not drugs'.

SANCA drives this initiative to highlight the dangers of substances, such as drugs and alcohol and aims to reduce the percentage of people that have a substance abuse problem and create much needed awareness.

While South African drug abuse statistics are alarmingly inconsistent, Cathy Vos, SANCA co-ordinator, says it is clear drug abuse is on the rise, particularly among youngsters.

South African Medical Research Council chief specialist scientist in alcohol and drug abuse unit, Bronwyn Meyers, stated that 11% of the South African population would suffer from an addiction disorder in their lifetime. "Add to that the 'locally formulated' drug Whoonga, Nyaope (mixture of heroin and dagga) along with the rising use of heroin, cocaine (crack) Tik (methamphetamine) and you have a recipe for destruction and early death," says Vos.

Whoonga - also called Wunga or Nyaope - is a potent and highly addictive mixture of marijuana, heroin and HIV medications. "The mixture costs around R20 on the streets, but users quickly reach the point of needing more and more and the drug becomes unaffordable. Addicts are often forced to turn to crime to accommodate their habit, making the social issues even more difficult."

In 2012, Dr David Bayever from the government drug control organisation CDA was quoted as saying that that at least 15% of South Africans have a drug problem and the number is expected to rise. "While some drugs are produced directly in South Africa, it is also a major trans-shipment hub for importing and exporting them."

Slogan encourages new beginnings

"The slogan 'Make health your new high in life, not drugs' was adopted to encourage people to look at the value of their life and how quickly that can be lost due to drug use. It's also important to note that it's not just drugs like heroin and whoonga that can steal your life, but over the counter medications and steroids, too."

In its quest to be the most effective organisation in the field of prevention and treatment of chemical dependence in South Africa, SANCA offers in- and out-patient treatment options, as well as adolescent centres around South Africa. "Besides detoxification, our services include intensive group, family and individual therapy, medical management, children's groups, drug testing and aftercare," Vos says.

With drug addiction, prevention is always better than cure: "By the time people get to SANCA, their lives are unmanageable and their physical and mental health is usually bad. Parents and other family members need to talk to their children about drug abuse early, as the age at which people are becoming exposed to drugs is far younger now than ever before."

For more information, call SANCA on 0861 476 22 or any SANCA office around the country.