Drug use flourishing

South Africa celebrated the International Day Against Drug Abuse on Wednesday with the launch of a pilot drug awareness campaign aimed at helping people overcome the pressure to take drugs.

The "Ke Moja" or "No Thanks, I'm fine" campaign aims to provide people with the knowledge to make the right decision, UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODCCP) Southern Africa Representative, Rob Boone, said at the launch of the initiative in the South African capital, Pretoria.

While no official prevalence figures exist for drug use in South Africa, cannabis and Mandrax are seen as the most commonly used illicit drugs. South Africa currently accounts for the second largest quantity of cannabis seized anywhere in the world. It is surpassed only by Mexico. Estimates vary, but it is believed that between 70-80 percent of the world's consumption of the depressant Mandrax (Methaqualone) occurs within South Africa's borders.

The use of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy has also increased significantly since the mid-1990s, Boone said. Recent evidence indicated that the injecting of heroin was increasing in South Africa. South Africa was now also starting to witness heroin use among the poor in township areas. The use of 'club-drugs', such as ecstasy and LSD, was also growing dramatically among some sections of the community.

"Over the past decade, South Africa has become part of major international drug trafficking networks. The political changes in South Africa also have been accompanied by social transition, typified by rapid modernisation and a decline in traditional family relationships," said Boone.

"Drug use flourishes in such turmoil, especially among young people. High unemployment, social injustice and weakened family bonds have created an environment where drug use and casual sexual relations offer young people both an opportunity to look cool in front of their peers and to escape from the harsh realities of every day life. Unfortunately, this also increases their risk of contracting HIV/AIDS," the UNODCCP representative added.

'Substance abuse and HIV/AIDS' is the theme for this year's International Day Against Drug Abuse. The drugs-HIV/AIDS link is particularly relevant in South Africa where UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation estimate that 4.7 million people are living with the disease.

"While injecting drug use may not be that common in South and Southern Africa, high-risk sexual behaviour is. This includes unprotected sex related to drug and alcohol abuse. The use of drugs and alcohol alters the mind and impairs judgment. As a result, users are at far greater risk of having unprotected sex and multiple sex partners than those who do not use drugs. This in turn, increases their risk of contracting and spreading HIV," Boone explained.

Preventing HIV/AIDS and reducing drug abuse and drug trafficking are more than public health concerns, he added. HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects the young, creating orphans and decimating the ranks of the skilled and educated during their prime years.

The Ke Moja pilot campaign, run in conjunction with the South African authorities, is aimed at young people and their parents. It is to be evaluated prior to a national roll-out later in 2002, UNODCCP said.