AS supporters of the legalisation of cannabis remain steadfast in their beliefs that the drug is harmless and should be decriminalised, statistics and information released by SANCA Zululand at their recent AGM paints a worrying picture of the high level of drug use among the region’s youth.
Their information states that in Zululand, dagga has replaced alcohol as the most common primary drug of dependence, and indicates that 50% of ‘service users’ are under the age of 21.
This is a worrying trend, given that, according to public perception, parents no longer actively teach their children of the dangers of drug use and abuse, and children are not adequately supervised by parents and guardians.
Too often they are left on their own after school while their parents are out working, without anything physical, constructive or healthy to do.
At the most vulnerable of ages, teenagers, when targeted by ‘drug lords’, are often the first to give in to the urge of experimentation and the easiest to get hooked.
Statistics back this up by showing that 89% of users fall within the Grades 8 to 12 group, which is of great concern given the levels of peer pressure increasing during these crucial teen years.
This is by no means where the problem ends. The disbandment of a specialised drug unit within local law enforcement simply means there are simply not enough law enforcement officers to deal with drug issues alongside the heavy burden of fighting other crime.
There has reportedly been a massive increase in drug use in our region not limited to cannabis.
With many other, harder drugs doing the rounds, including those that are mixed with highly toxic substances, it is clear that the reintroduction of a specialised drug unit should be a priority.
With only a handful of cops left to fight crime across the board, we need dedicated police officers tasked with the sole responsibility of limiting the spread of drugs in our society.
The sad fact is that teens, when faced with peer pressure and the craving for a better high than that provided by cannabis, could very well find it to be their last as they take a hard drug laced with lethal agents.
The time for merely bemoaning the escalating drug scourge is over. Society as a whole must now take drastic and decisive action to rid ourselves of the drug lords.
