Drug epidemic is robbing SA of its kids

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...5358636C335337

South Africa is rapidly losing its youth - and thereby its future - to drugs. This is the view of the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca) following warnings from Pretoria police and non-government organisations that drugs are wiping out our children.

Police on Thursday raided schools in Pretoria and traces of drugs like cannabis were detected by sniffer dogs at a school in Hercules.

Tshwane Substance Abuse Forum (TSAF) and Brooklyn police station spokesperson Colette Weilbach said some Pretoria drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres were helping children as young as nine.

"We are very worried about what is happening to our future," she said."What is even more worrying is that the parents living in our policing precinct and who should be involved in their children's lives, are not," she said.

Sanca Northern Gauteng director Estelle van Schoor said the capital had a crisis on its hands.

"If something is not done soon to boost the country's capacity to deal with drug use among children, our future is going to be in real danger," she said.

She said they were currently treating large numbers of children who were using cocaine, heroin, dagga and alcohol.

Soshanguve police station spokesperson Captain Solly Marindi said addiction led to crime. "What makes us worried is that more and more of our children are turning to violent crimes such as house and armed robberies to support their habits. Items such as cellphones, which they steal, are being sold for as little as R30," he said.

"Kids are dropping out of school to join criminal gangs that terrorise our communities. We are trying our best to win this battle, but if society does not work together our future will die," he said.

Both Captain Bongikosi Msimango, of Hercules police station, and Inspector Duane Lightfoot, of Moot police station, said they were concerned about drug use among the youth.

"We need help especially from parents if we are to stamp out this scourge. If not, our country is lost," Msimango said.

Tshwane Metro Police drug unit commander Superintendent Mark Newham said there was not a school in Pretoria that did not have a drug problem.

"While dagga is the most abused drug in schools, it is tik that is going to become a major problem for us," he said.

He said drugs were a problem in Pretoria because they were being manufactured here.

"Because the Johannesburg drug user market is saturated, drug syndicates are now going all out targeting Pretoria and setting up manufacturing laboratories in an effort get as much out on to the streets as quickly as possible," he said. - Graeme Hosken