Pretoria - The face of drug addiction in South Africa has changed, with organisations estimating that about one in five people use drugs on a regular basis.
The advent of newer drugs, mostly consisting of a mixture of existing substances and additives available on the market, has fed the need for the “high” that temporarily allows users to disassociate with reality.
“Easy access to high quality and relatively cheap drugs, coupled with high levels of unemployment, trauma, violence and the deterioration of social support by family members, friends and the community, has led to the steady increase in the incidence of drug abuse and addiction in South Africa,” said Nathan Rogerson, of Akeso Clinics.
The sad state of affairs would take its toll on all affected by the scourge, and also impact negatively on productivity, he added.
Akeso Clinics is a group of private in-patient psychiatric clinics that provide psychological care, and in their line of business they have encountered younger than normal addicts. “It is not unusual to come across children who are addicted to glue or inhalants from a very young age. I have encountered children as young as 6 who have become addicted,” Rogerson said.
Research has found that the excessive consumption of any mind-altering substance caused significant harm to a person’s functioning and mental wellbeing, affecting their productivity.
While effects differ from drug to drug, common traits do exist.
Drugs have been known to cause seizures, blackouts, psychosis and breathing problems, but they have also led to the total ruin of families and communities.
Launching Drug Awareness Week on Wednesday, the government raised concern over the figures provided by experts, stating that more than 11 percent of South Africans had addiction problems.
The government said dagga and alcohol were the top drugs of choice. The awareness drive will run until June 28.
Cheap drugs like nyaope have become the street drug of choice in Pretoria. As such the city has been identified as the capital of nyaope production and use.
It has also been described as “crack with a sickening twist”, and dealers and users have been known to mix a combination of heroin, detergents, ARVs and, in some quarters, battery fluid and/or rat poison.
It has become part of everyday culture in the city’s townships and has been identified as “a drug of poverty”.
Cannabis is also in strong demand and South Africa is among the top cannabis producers in the world.
It has been known to lead to multiple health and psychiatric complications, said senior psychiatrist and lecturer at Stellenbosch University Dr Lize Weich. While many viewed the drug as an innocent herb, there was serious concern about adverse health consequences, she said.
Dependency on it was high and it was estimated that one in nine cannabis users would become dependent. Those who started using it in their teens, had a one in six chance of becoming dependent, said Weich. “It is also linked to other medical complications like heart attacks and strokes.”
Pretoria News