Something is Being Done About South Africa’s Drug Problem
More than 400 attended Foundation for a Drug-Free World seminars across South Africa in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Attendees ranged from social workers and police officers to individuals from community fixtures such as the South African Reserve Bank and Red Cross to students from nearby colleges and universities, as well as parents.
The diversity of attendees demonstrates the immense impact that drug use has on the South African culture. One in three adults in South Africa abuses drugs regularly.
In several South African townships a new drug cocktail is being smoked: nyaope, a highly addictive substance that is a mixture of heroin and other substances such as HIV medicine and even rat poison, usually combined with marijuana. And at only $2 a hit, nyaope is all too accessible.
The Drug-Free World seminars present South Africans with effective tools to combat drug use and trafficking through the Truth About Drugs program. Educational materials in the program arsenal include the Truth About Drugs booklets; They Said/They Lied public service announcements; and The Truth About Drugs: Real People, Real Stories documentary. All attendees are awarded certificates for taking part in the seminars, and at each seminar, attendees establish a plan of action to tackle the drug problems in their home regions, using The Truth About Drugs materials. Truth About Drugs education packages are provided to teachers and law enforcement officials wishing to implement effective drug prevention programs in their areas.
The South African government has now devoted 87 million rand to stop the abuse and trafficking of drugs, up from the 42 million rand budgeted just four years ago.
The Truth About Drugs program is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive non-governmental drug education and prevention initiatives. It was created by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free.
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