Status of alcohol consumption in south africa compared with other countries. Pdf learners substance abuse at school in selected high. A draft set of guidelines on how to implement the policy is under development by the department of education. Alcohol abuse in south africa soul city institute for social justice. Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem facing the world today. In order to understand the reasons for adolescent substance abuse behaviour, various theoretical perspectives were utilised and strategies to curb substance use were also identified. Alcoholism treatment south africa alcohol rehab south africa. Pdf illicit drug use and treatment in south africa. In south africa we need a comprehensive and hard offensive. Here are some statistics taken from a survey done from june 2010 march 2011 by the central drug authority cda of south africa to illustrate to you the harmful effects that drugs and alcohol have on our rainbow nation. The researchers interest in the study evolved from her involvement with adolescent drug patients at magaliesoord centre.
Addressing adolescent alcohol use in south africa south african. According to an article published on parent24, weve gone from 8 787 people admitted for drug treatment in 2016 in sa to 10 047 in 2017. We describe patterns of substance use based on recent, nationally representative data. This paper focuses specifically on the issue of substance use, abuse and addiction amongst the 201220 services. Presentation outline harmful drinking alcohol abuse global status and burden of alcohol abuse status of alcohol consumption in south africa compared with other countries issues that may have implications on the alcohol policy in south africa conclusion. The frequent abuse of alcohol otherwise known as alcoholism, has been a devastating social problem throughout the history of modern man. The south african depression and anxiety group sadag has partnered with the department of social development in launching a tollfree substance abuse helpline in an effort to increase access to help, support and appropriate treatment for substance users. Apr 21, 2016 drug use statistics in south africa as reported by the united nations world drug report of 2014. The effects of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy are most pronounced in poor, rural communities. Drug and alcohol abuse in south africa has greatly increased and has a lot of effect that it causes.
Alcohol use and related problems in subsaharan africa isidore s. South african law policy on substance abuse in the workplace no single legislationact that make specific provisions to substance abuse in the workplace. This has since been supplemented by national surveys. Alcohol abuse is associated with more than 60 longterm health conditions, including. In the last decade, south africa has undergone major social and economic changes, including the end of apartheid, the concomitants of which may be experienced as personally stressful. South african legislation pertaining to alcohol is also discussed in order to highlight the need for changing or amending certain acts if alcohol abuse is to be. In south africa, the national drug master plan 2006, indicates that levels of substance abuse continue to rise with the age of first experimentation with drugs dropping to as low as ten years.
When someone is under the influence of alcohol and drugs it is very difficult for that person to make good and sound decisions. But in south africa in particular, tik crystal meth, or methamphetamine and alcohol are devastating society, aggravating poverty and crime, and contributing to child abuse and gender violence. Alcohol and drugs are the main causes of partner abuse in sa. South african drug and alcohol statistics we do recover. Navigation phuza wize campaign resources facts what are the. For south africa this would work out at about r8,7 billion per year an amount twice received in excise duties on alcoholic beverages in 20002001freeman and parry 2006.
Obot centre for research and information on substance abuse jos, nigeria abstract data from the world health organization global alcohol database gad show a wide variation in per capita consumption of recorded alcohol in african countries, ranging from less than 1 litre of. Until the late 1990s information came mostly from ad hoc crosssectional studies, often conducted in a single location, and from information on police arrests and drug seizures, mortuaries and school surveys. Hazardous drinking is defined as a quantity or pattern of alcohol. Health officials are now embarking on door to door campaigns to educate youth. Request pdf drug abuse by learners in south africa.
South africa carries a high burden of alcohol abuse. Fuelled by poverty and unemployment its a spiralling scourge. The cost of harmful alcohol use in south africa matzopoulos. The aim of this paper is to make a contribution to the developing south african literature on the subject of substance abuse, with a specific focus on the criminal justice system. Jun 22, 2015 drug and alcohol abuse are endemic in south africa. Historically substance abuse data in south africa have been limited. Alcohol and substance abuse among students at university of. This study formed part of the south african national hiv, incidence, behaviour and. Hence, there is a need for a counselling program in each school to provide support and refer such learners to an appropriate institution for rehabilitation. Intervention strategies used to address alcohol abuse in the north west province, south africa. Most of the families have faced family separation as a result of excessive use of drugs and alcohol. Drug abuse in adolescents in swaziland university of south. South africa s alcohol consumption rate has climbed, with the country now ranked as one of the top 20 biggest drinking nations in the world.
One in every 14 people are regular users adding up to a total of 3. Pdf intervention strategies used to address alcohol abuse in the. Substance abuse among male adolescents by irene patience. South africa s drug problem was contextualized by a comparison with global trends. The aim of the study was to explore the influence of social factors on adolescent drug abuse. In sa, alcohol data constraints are mainly attributed to accessibility restrictions on survey data. Latest drug statistics south africa 2016 south africa. Drug and alcohol abuse are endemic in south africa youtube. South african national council on alcoholism and drug. Mar 20, 20 south africa is a country burdened by drug and alcohol abuse, but many people dont know how severe the problem really is. The study was conducted in the rural areas of zeerust, north west province of south africa.
Alcohol and south africas youth seggie south african. A lack of recent and comprehensive data on the extent and costs of alcohol and substance abuse in south africa is a further barrier to developing scientific approaches to address the problem and. This notwithstanding, alcohol, cannabis and khat still remain the most common substances of abuse in. Rural secondary school learners in south africa have a low prevalence rate of substance abuse. Substance abuse refers to abuse of alcohol, legal and illegal drugs such as cocaine and tranquillisers. Drug abuse remains a growing problem in south africa with 7. Alcohol use trends in south africa semantic scholar.
Selfreported alcohol use and binge drinking in south africa. A new study has shown that one in 10 deaths in south africa can be attributed to alcohol abuse in some way with men in low income groups the most at risk. May 17, 2006 the history of psychoactive substance use in africa is relatively short except for the reports on the use of traditional substances such as alcohol, cannabis and khat. Currently the world health organisation who recognises that there are approximately 140 million alcoholics worldwide, with south africa having. Predictors of drug use among south african adolescents. Usability of existing alcohol survey data in south africa. National and provincial government spending and revenue related to alcohol abuse. Alcohol and other substance use and abuse are associated with serious physical and psychological consequences. The researcher collected data by interviewing adolescents who abused drugs in the msunduza township, mbabane, swaziland. Use of alcohol in africa, particularly in south africa, has a long history and is a way of life for many people, regardless of their socioeconomic background. The introduction of prescription drugs to africa drastically increased the availability and use of psychoactive substances. Abuse was originally strong among south africas ethnically indian population before it spread to other ethnic groups, including the country s african population.
Abstract south africa has a high rate of substance abuse among youths both in and out of school with east london in the eastern cape province experiencing an increase in young people ages 20 years. Alcohol and drugs are perceived to be the leading cause of partner abuse in south africa. The national drug master plan that offers the blueprint for the countrys approach to alcohol and drug use shares the vision of a drug free south africa. Alcohol use and problem drinking in south africa africa check. He added that south africa continued to be the regional hub for drug trafficking in and out of the country. Substance abuse and psychological wellbeing of south african. May 27, 2016 south africas alcohol consumption rate has climbed, with the country now ranked as one of the top 20 biggest drinking nations in the world. The staggering stats of addiction in south africa at least 15 percent of south africans are said to have a drug problem, according to the countrys central drug authority. Hazardous or harmful alcohol use was assessed with the 10item alcohol disorder identification test audit, e. The treatmentrehabilitation of those with a substance abuse problem department of social development and partners south african police services supported by the department of social development, community safety, education and health, lead the struggle to curb and control the supply of substances. Substance abuse and psychological wellbeing of south african adolescents maretha visser department of psychology, university of pretoria, brooklyn, 0002, south africa maretha. Alcohol and south africas youth south africa sa is a hard drinking country.
African region, south africa sa had the highest per capita alcohol. Prevention of and treatment for substance abuse act. Worldwide and in south africa, the abuse of drugs has become one of the most challenging social issues. For example, violence and racial discrimination are prevalent in contemporary south africa, both factors associated with drug use 67, 68. The south african university students are not different from other students around the globe. Alcohol abuse was a major problem in south africa and an estimated two million people could be classified as problem drinkers. Drugs and alcohol guidelines for schools in december 2002, the south african government promulgated its policy framework for the management of drug abuse by learners in schools and in public further education and training institutions. A conservative estimate of economic costs of alcohol abuse based on research studies conducted in other countries is 1% of gross domestic product gdp. Alcohol abuse has many negative economic, social and health consequences. Substance use amongst secondary school students in a.
How is south africa rated and the implications for policy dr francis kasolo md, phd world health organization. The cost of harmful alcohol use in south africa background. The social aspects of alcohol misuseabuse in south africa south. Why south africa needs a rethink on substance abuse. Alcohol abuse in south africa is also eroding our economy in countless direct. In sa, one in three individuals reported drinking alcohol, while one in seven. Data were derived from the 2002 2004 south african stress and health sash study. There are limited data on substance use in south africa.
Drug abuse is recognised as one of the greatest social problems in south africa. How often did you have a drink containing alcohol in the past 12 months. Department of health and human services, substance abuse and. A quantitative, descriptive, explorative design was used to examine drug abuse among adolescents in swaziland. Drug and alcohol abuse in south africa relapse prevention. Labour relations act, employment equity, basic conditions of employment, occupational health and safety, prevention and treatment of drug. The social aspects of alcohol misuseabuse in south africa. It is reckoned that we consume in excess of 5 billion litres of alcohol annually. Prevention of and treatment for substance abuse act south. Alcohol in particularly is a widely used psychoactive substance with dependence properties.
Original a patterns of substance use in south africa. Introducing substance use and abuse in sa brain behaviour. The statistics showed that the use of cannabis, cocaine, and tik was twice as much in south africa as worldwide. The economic, social and health costs associated with alcohol related harms are important measures with which to inform alcohol management policies and laws.
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