THE CENTRAL DRUG AUTHORITY AND THE DRUG PROBLEM IN SA A PRESENTATION TO THE PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO

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THE CENTRAL DRUG AUTHORITYAND THE DRUG PROBLEM
IN SAA PRESENTATION TO THEPARLIAMENTARY
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEEONSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTPART 1
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CONTENTS

• A NEW DEFINITION OF ADDICTION
• THE NATURE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM IN SA
• THE NATURE OF THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM IN SA
• SOME SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR THE YOUTH
• LINK TO THE CDA MANDATE AND THE NDMP 2006-2011

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WHAT IS ADDICTION?

• 1918 A disease affecting a few unfortunates
• 1940s The results of sin
• 1980s on- A chronic relapsing and ultimately
  fatal illness with no cure other than abstention

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WHAT IS ADDICTION?

• 2000 A state of physiological adaptation to the
  presence of a drug in the body so that the
  absence of the drug leads to physiological
  dysfunction which is unpleasant or even
  life-threatening.
• A syndrome at the centre of which is impaired
  control over a behaviour with loss of control
  leading to significant harm.

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WHAT IS ADDICTION?

• 2006- A chronic condition of the motivational
  system in which reward-seeking has become out of
  control and which leads to significant harm
  (West 2006)

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WHAT IS SUBSTANCE ADDICTION?

• A NEW DEFINITION
• Substance addiction is chronic, relapsing,
  out-of-control and significantly harmful
  reward-seeking behaviour for which there is no
  cure other than abstention.

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WHAT IS SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE?

• The same as addiction only more politically
  correct.
• User-friendly term.
• Not a denigrating term
• People now move from state of addiction to a
  non-addictive state or from being dependent
  to being non-dependent
• Note that one remains an addict or a dependent
  but ones state changes.
• There is no cure for substance dependence other
  than life-long abstinence

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THE NATURE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM IN SA
OF POPULATION
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DRUG USERS IN SA IN MILLIONS
PROBLEM USERS 235 777
DIRECT COSTS R10bn pa
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THE NATURE OF THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM IN SA
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PERCENTAGE AND TYPE OF RECORDED ALCOHOL CONSUMED
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TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL
SAs 10.1 m drinkers EACH drink per year 196
six-packs of beer, or 62 bottles of spirits,
or 220 bottles of wine, or 666 cartons of sorghum
beer
20.1 L of pure alcohol per head Top Ten in the
World!
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THE DRUG PROBLEM ADULTS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

• THINK ABOUT
• Binge Drinkers 37 plus
• Monday drivers 10 drunk
• DUI 7000 deaths per annum
• Drug dealers of 18 R100k per day turnover
• Dependent of 24 R5000 per day
• Link between drug use, HIV/AIDS, TB, violence and
  crime
• Co-dependents Bankrupt and destitute
• Heroin dependents 2 recovery success
• All dependents 47 plus bipolar

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ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AMONGST ADOLESCENTS
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THE NATURE OF THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS
9 TOTS/1 L WINE/2L BEER DAILY/WEEKENDS
?
?
COST TO COUNTRY?
(After Parry)
THE DRINKERS PYRAMID
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LIFETIME SUBSTANCE USE BY LEARNERS
Youth Risk Behaviour 2002
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• YOUNG SUBSTANCE USERS AND POTENTIAL HARM
• Crime and violence
• Accidents and injuries
• Risky sexual behaviour/unplanned
  pregnancies/STIs/HIV and AIDS
• Learning problems
• Mental and physical health problems

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PERCENTAGE OF USER AND NON-USER LEARNERS
REPORTING BEING STABBED
Youth Risk Behaviour 2002
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PERCENTAGE OF USERS AND NON-USERS REPORTING
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
Youth Risk Behaviour 2002
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PERCENTAGE OF USERS AND NON-USERS REPORTING
EXPULSION
Youth Risk Behaviour 2002
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THE DRUG PROBLEM THE YOUTH UP CLOSE AND MORE
PERSONAL

• THINK ABOUT SCHOOLS YOUNG OFFENDERS
• Age of Dependence 12 years and reducing.
• School children 1 in 2 experimented
• Drug dealers in schools Target schools
• Increase in injection drug use (IDU)
• HIV/AIDS in prisons linked to IDU
• Tik 42 to 98 level in Cape treatment centres
• SACENDU and ISS Positive link between drugs and
  violence
• Drug Disguises Peanuts tattoos sweets cakes
  lollipops

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CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR ADDICTION TO START
PEOPLE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ADDICTION
SUPPLY
DEMAND
EXPERIMENTATION
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CDA STRATEGIES FOR COMBATING ADDICTION
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CONCLUSION

• The drug problem in South Africa is extremely
  serious, with drug usage at twice the world norm,
  and
• alcohol consumption among the Top 10.
• The socio-economic consequences of this cost the
  country more than Rbn 20 per year.
• The CDA integrated strategy is incorporated in
  the National Drug Master Plan.