LET`S ALL MAKE STAND AGAINST THE SCOURGE OF DRUG ABUSE

Comment by: Ray McCauley

24 June 2013

IT all started with a group of courageous mothers from Eldorado Park who said: enough is enough. Their resolve caught the aenon of President , Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and Police Minister and galvanized the community and various stakeholders to confront the drug abuse scourge in their area.

These mothers wrote a leer to the President pleading for government intervenon in fighng a social ill that was destroying their kids and turning their community into a wasteland. The President, accompanied by a number of leaders in government, responded to their cry and visited the area. We have since seen a wide-ranging an-drug plan unveiled by Premier Mokonyane. It is a source of comfort that the plan is being followed with acon. We have seen drug dens being closed down, people arrested, addicts being rescued and police increasing their visibility in the area.

The community, business, government, religious organizaons and school governing bodies have all come together with a determinaon to tackle the problem. It gives one hope that working together we can and we will defeat this demon. We commend government for having responded so swily, decidedly and in a coordinated manner. Geng the Premier to lead the iniave involving the city of Joburg, social development, jusce, health, trade and industry, and the police sends the signal that government, at the highest level, is serious about tackling this challenge.

While I have seen religious leaders join in the fight against drug abuse, I would like to encourage more of us to get involved. Our church has been involved in a drug rehabilitaon programme for years now and I have seen many lives being turned around through it. We would be more than willing to share our experiences, learn from other and join efforts where we can. This is one area where we can praccally restore the lives of addicts and reintegrate them back them into society.

The approach we are seeing in Eldorado Park should be replicated in other parts of the country where drug abuse is rife. One is here thinking about places like the Western Cape where 98 per cent of k addicts who seek help in South Africa reportedly come from. In fact, both provinces should share experiences and learn from each other. Aer all, it is the lives of South Africans and the collecve’s future of our children that is stake here.

But let us not fool ourselves into believing that the problem is confined to these two provinces and/or to drugs only. There are signs that other provinces are in trouble as well especially when one adds alcohol abuse into the mixture and talks about substance abuse in general.

Substance abuse is killing our society and the future of our country. Studies show that it has reached epidemic levels in some parts of the country. What is parcularly concerning it that we are now seeing pre-teenage addicon? I was shocked to read the other day that children as young as eight were among those who were rescued from "lollipop lounges" in Eldorado Park. Unless this is arrested, it can have very negave consequences for the future of our children.

Those who work in the health sector tell of painful stories about the consequences of substance abuse - how it leads to various cancers, trauma, violence, organ failure and injuries to the brains of unborn babies. The burden on health budgets must be enormous and I am sure Health Minister Dr can aest to this.

The negave impact extends to families and society in general. Oen, substance abuse results in conflict leading to the abuse of family members, especially of women and children. The adage cannot be quanfied. Police have also tesfied about the link between substance abuse and some of the horrific crimes they have come across. When the addicts are high they are oen devoid of any human feeling and can commit some of the worst crimes. We have read about young men sling throats of their vicms. We cannot have a society like that. The fight against drug abuse and substance abuse in general belongs to all of us. It affects society and impacts us all. Let's join forces to confront this problem. We can win against it. Lastly on Wednesday June 26, 2013 it is UN internaonal Day against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking and on the same day Leadsa and crime line will launch a new iniave DrugWatch in , LET’S ALL MAKE A STAND.

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On a lighter note, I join in welcoming the new radio staon, PowerFM, in Gauteng and wish it all of the best. It adds to the vibrancy of our city and the diversity of voices.

Pastor Ray McCauley is the Senior Pastor of Rhema Bible Church North and the Co-Chairperson of Naonal Religious Leaders Council (NRLC)