BuaNews (Tshwane)
Edwin Tshivhidzo
22 October 2007
Kempton Park — It is important to speak to the youth in a language they can identify with when educating them about the dangers of drugs, says Deputy Minister of Social Development Dr Jean Swanson-Jacobs.
By using hip hop activities as a means of communication the department will be able to convey the message to the youth, said the minister.
Addressing the Hip Hop Roundtable on Monday, Deputy Minister Swanson-Jacobs said drug and alcohol abuse remains a serious social challenges in South Africa.
"Drug abuse is the new threat to the development of our children. Our schools have become battlegrounds because they are environments where drug trafficking is the order of the day," she said.
There is a direct connection between high levels of inter-personal violence and other forms of crime, road accidents, youth depression and suicide and drug abuse.
The minister the youth themselves must get involved and begin seeking solutions and the values necessary to prevent drug abuse.
"A concerted, highly visible, protracted and integrated campaign has to be initiated to divert the children who may be at risk," the minister said.
In a bid to discourage young people from using drugs, the department in 2005 launched the youth programme called "Ke Moja, No Thanks I'm Fine without Drugs."
The campaign is jointly sponsored by the department and the United Nations Office for Drug Control (UNODC) to raise awareness among young South Africans about the dangers of drug abuse.
The department and the UNODC commissioned the Human Science Research Council to assess drug abuse related perceptions and behaviour among teenagers in disadvantaged areas.
"We have a fairly good understanding of the drug problem and are aware of the fact that drug lords target children, who are often vulnerable, inquisitive and receptive to influences," the minister said.
She added that compounding the increase in substance abuse is the sad reality that some segments of society perceive drug-taking to be cool, normal and acceptable.
Dagga and alcohol are the most abused substances.
According to the World Drug Report, there are approximately 200 000 drug users in South Africa.
There is a need to lead young people through a process of self-discovery and community involvement which allows them to think and feel for themselves.
"We will help young people to identify their own aspirations and define a practical path towards realising them," she said.
Minister Swanson-Jacobs said the Ke Moja Drug awareness campaign should be extended horizontally and vertically, to accommodate the diversity of programmes existing now and those that may exist in the future.
"Drugs destroy lives and communities, undermine sustainable human development and generate crime," the minister said.
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