Drug Abuse In South Africa Has Grown Alarmingly

It seems a far cry today from the era during which watchful local municipalities regularly sent their horticultural sleuths to tour the suburbs and search their gardens for the odd specimen of cannabis sativa or when being caught in the act of smoking a joint was viewed as the ultimate sin.

Since those days, drug abuse in South Africa, in common with most first world countries, has grown to reach near epidemic proportions.

No longer content simply with the relatively mild euphoria that can be derived from a nail, a cup of hemp tea or a dagga cookie, today’s oblivion seekers have now graduated to an array of complex chemical delights that has seen drug abuse in South Africa soar to hitherto unimagined levels along with an alarming and parallel growth in drug-related crimes.

The current and much-extended menu of illegal substances that, as well as marijuana and LSD, now features such exotic items as cocaine, heroin, crack, crystal meth, ecstasy, cat, khat, tick, LSD, GHB. GBL and Mandrax, has opened up a veritable cornucopia of new opportunities for drug abuse in South Africa.

Perhaps the most serious consequence of this steady proliferation of these new drugs is that dealers have now placed them within easy reach of those who were previously protected. Tragically, it is the very young that have become the most recent victims of drug abuse in South Africa and statistics show that the incidence of pre-teenage addiction in some parts of the country is becoming a significant problem. Here is more at moneyweb.co.za on teenage girls falling pregnant all related to drug abuse. drug abuse south africa

So who is to be responsible for halting the alarming growth of drug abuse in South Africa? The short and simple answer is everyone; everyone who fears for the future of a son or daughter; everyone who is responsible for the education and guidance of children and everyone who fears that they may one day fall victim to drug related violence.

Drug Abuse Can Take Many Forms

When referring to drug abuse it is important to have a clear idea of precisely what may be covered by those two simple words. Since the verb to abuse, in its simplest form, means little more than to make inappropriate use of something, it becomes clear that it is not only illegal substances that may be subject to abuse but prescription drugs also.

The lifestyles of the rich and famous such as actors and rock stars are often very demanding requiring long and stressful hours and it is common practice for such people to seek the support of assorted prescription drugs.

So-called ‘uppers’ help them to cope during periods of high pressure while, in the rare moments of relaxation it takes ‘downers’ to restore their metabolism to normal. All too often the effects prove seductive and drug use becomes drug abuse that has often led to overdose and death.

In its more common interpretation, the term drug abuse is normally used to refer to any use of a banned or restricted substance and, depending upon the country concerned, this could cover anything from smoking cannabis to mainlining on heroin. Under the laws of some countries, mere possession of a banned substance could result in arrest and prosecution while others may require offenders to be caught in the act.

Despite the rigid definition that is commonly applied to drug abuse, there are still plenty of users whose behaviour does not strictly comply with the popular image of substance abusers.

While their actions may remain blatantly in conflict with the law, these individuals make only occasional use of banned substances and for purely recreational purposes. They invariably display no evidence of addiction or visible signs of ill health.

It is important to stress that such people are the exception and can pose a danger to those who may seek to emulate them. Sadly most who take this route will see it end in drug abuse.

Drug Abuse Pictures not for the Faint-hearted

For those who may have seen the cult movie “Trainspotting” that dealt in such detail with the problem of addiction in Britain of the 60’s and 70’s, the drug abuse pictures that it so graphically portrayed were certainly horrific.

One might, in fact, have thought them sufficient to deter anyone who may, at some time, contemplate a flirtation with recreational drugs. Time, however, has proved otherwise and the hapless victims brought to life under the direction of Danny Boyle, seem, instead, to have become cult heroes and even role models.

Perhaps its message failed because it was seen by the majority as mere fiction or perhaps even because it may have served, in part, to desensitize viewers. Nevertheless, there is little doubt that drug abuse pictures relating to its victims do have the power to shock and thus, hopefully, also to deter when presented appropriately.

Of course, the effect of drug abuse pictures is not restricted to that of a shock deterrent. If parents, teachers and other concerned individuals are to participate in an effective war on drug abuse, it is first essential that they are able to recognise the early signs of drug usage, the substances themselves and the paraphernalia associated with their use.

A variety of drug education programmes are now conducted by some of the more progressive local education authorities and community policing forums as well as by independently funded NGOs. Almost all of these organizations tend to make use of drug abuse pictures as visual aids to help them get their message across.

For those whose communities may not, as yet, have access to this kind of drug awareness programme, the internet also hosts a huge collection of drug abuse pictures that one can trace in an instant with a Google search.

Drug Abuse Pictures Before and After

It is important, however to ensure that they are published by an authoritative source before placing too much faith in their content. In this respect, information supplied by treatment and support centres via their websites would be the material of choice.

Drug Abuse Statistics Point To Need For Action

People often say of statistics that one can manipulate them to display whatever trend the statistician may wish to convey. Although this statement may hold an element of truth, in the case of drug abuse statistics, the trend that is emerging remains bad news regardless of how one may attempt to interpret it.

Surveys show both an increase in the total number of users and, more alarmingly, a decrease in their average age.

No sector of society remains immune from the problem and although drug abuse statistics may indicate some degree of variation between the numerous demographic groups that make up a valid sample, no group has been found, as yet, to have escaped the scourge of drug addiction or its consequences.

Drug abuse and its potential effects transcend all social barriers. Whether such divisions are the constructs of racial diversity, religious persuasion or of economic or class distinction, drug abuse statistics confirm repeatedly that this growing and dangerous problem is a universal one.

Since it first became clear that the problem was becoming serious, numerous surveys have been undertaken by credible research organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The common finding among all of their published drug abuse statistics is that each new year brings with it an increased number of addicts and that drug abusers are getting started ever earlier with pre-teenage children now forming a significant group.

One recurring and frightening finding that has come to light in recent drug abuse statistics is that the use of illegal substances is often seen by their users as a means of escaping the misery and depression that result from poverty and rising unemployment.

Sadly, far from presenting the users with a solution to their problems, drug abuse is not only more likely to intensify them in the longer term but may also result in far-reaching consequence to their families, to their friends and to their communities as a whole.

The Growing Effects Of Drug Abuse

Many trends may leave their mark on society. Advances in computer technology have revolutionized the way we communicate and seek our entertainment while improved transportation has dramatically reduced the travelling times between the world’s major cities. Not all trends, however, result in positive change and in few other cases is this reality more obvious than when reviewing the effects of drug abuse.

The use of addictive and illegal substances for recreational purposes has increased dramatically since the nineties and, today, the visible effects of drug abuse are both widespread and alarming. These problems do not lie in someone else’s community or overseas or in some distant future. They are right here, on our own doorsteps and they are here today!

In any attempt to catalogue the effects of drug abuse one must take into account that they are not confined to the users but that they have the potential to exert adverse effects upon every citizen of those communities in which the users reside.

Drugs cost money and, among the less affluent, usage soon creates financial difficulties that leave the addict no choice but to turn to crime to support his or her habit. Even better off users often find themselves unemployed as a result of reduced responsibility and they too may resort to criminal activities.

Did you Know?

Bath Salts allow drug users to get high legally

The effects of drug abuse are not limited to hard drugs. Even the occasional use of so called soft drugs such as cannabis has been shown to result in diminished concentration and responsibility that have often been the cause of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents resulting in serious injury or death.

One other way in which communities suffer the effects of drug abuse results from the economic impact. In the light of the recent global recession, this could prove to be the straw to break the camel’s back in smaller communities.

Whether insuring against the resulting crime, providing medical services to sick addicts or policing the streets to deter dealing, the cost is high and it’s growing daily.