Alcohol emerges as gateway drug leading to substance abuse in South Africa
Convener of the moral regeneration movement (MRM) interim committee Pastor Lesiba Kgwele says the escalating drug abuse among teenagers and young adults requires intensified effort and a multi-pronged strategy in order to tackle contributing factors.
Kgwele added that to uproot the scourge, the country needs to move beyond condemnation to action. “Our communities are under siege from drug dealers and heartless criminal syndicates that have no regard for human lives,” he said.
“If they did, they would be touched by the destruction of young lives and hopeless drug addicts that have been reduced to zombies that are merely craving for their next fix.”
Kgwele shared his views on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed annually on June 26 under the theme “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention”.
He highlighted that drugs abuse and illicit trafficking is tearing families apart, adding that every family that has an addict in its household know the immeasurable pain of watching their loved one going to waste due to drug addiction.
“The hopes of millions of our young people must be restored through intervention programmes that include job creation as well as development of recreational facilities that will provide them with support for their physical fitness, mental health and social cohesion,” he said.
The day, commonly referred to as World drug Day, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987 with the aim of strengthening action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
The significance of World Drug Day 2024 lies in its ability to raise awareness about the severe consequences of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
Drugs not only destroy lives but also disrupts communities, fuel crime, and weaken economies. According to the united nations office on drugs and crime (UNODC), around 269 million people worldwide used drugs in 2018, and these numbers continue to rise. The world drug day highlights the global commitment needed to address drug abuse and illicit trafficking through education, support, and rehabilitation.
The department of social development is concerned about alcohol as the first drug of choice by young people in South Africa.
Motshabi Nkoane, social work policy manager, at the national department of social development, raised a concern on the high level of alcohol abuse in South Africa, especially, amongst young people which includes binge drinking.
She echoed that substance abuse is not a department issue alone.
“All relevant stakeholders including councillors, traditional leadership and communities should be involved to fight the scourge of substance abuse as stipulated in the national drug master olan, which is the overarching blueprint of the country’s response to substance abuse,” she said.
The department also showed concern that alcohol remains the first drug of choice for young people and the policy of prevention and treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) will be finalised for tabling to cabinet for approval.
A new report from the world health organization (WHO) highlights that 2.6 million deaths per year were attributable to alcohol consumption, accounting for 4.7% of all deaths, and 0.6 million deaths to psychoactive drug use. Notably, 2 million of alcohol and 0.4 million of drug-attributable deaths were among men.
