Youth alcohol addiction on the rise
Teen binge drinking highlighted as major concern at SANCA AGM.
ALCOHOL remains the most frequently abused substance in Zululand, with the highest percentage of affected individuals being young adults who consume liquor excessively and binge drink.
This was one of the key points highlighted at the recent SANCA Zululand Annual General Meeting.
Outlining statistics for the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March, SANCA Zululand Director Shireen Sahadev said alcohol abuse stood at 48%, with dagga being the next substance of choice at 23%.
‘A popular drug to keep a wary eye out for is Whoonga. The deadly mixture of heroin and other drugs – and even rat poison – is a popular toxic drug which is easily accessible and cheap,’ said Sahadev.
There has also been an alarming increase in service users under the age of 21 from 33% in 2013 to 44% in 2014. This 11% spike is a result of an increase in drug availability among youth and subsequent drug abuse.
However, Sahadev said there was early identification of drug usage by the schools after teachers received training from SANCA staff on how to identify early warning signs.
Statistics indicate that 39% of the service users were between the ages of 22 and 35, 16% were in the 36 to 59 age groups and 1% older than 60 years.
The gender ratio has remained unchanged during the past year with 91% of service users being male and 9% female. Owing to social stigma, females are believed to be more reluctant to admit to their alcoholic problems.
SANCA officially welcomed its new Director, Shireen Sahadev, following the retirement of Lynette Williams who had been part of the SANCA family since 1995.
The accomplished social worker has 19 years of experience behind her and has great visions for SANCA Zululand, some of which are currently taking shape.
Recognition was also given to long-standing member Hosia Mbokazi, who received an award for his 20 years of dedicated service, while Gillene Brink was praised for her six dedicated years of service.
SANCA thanked the community for showing their support during the annual SANCA/Bay Watch ‘Walk Away From Drugs’ event last month where more than 250 intrepid walkers came out to promote a healthy lifestyle.
