Marchers make their anti-drug message heard
ALEXANDRA - Anti-drug marchers take their message to the township's streets.
Alex police concerned by the increasing drug abuse in the township, joined members of the Alex Local Drug Committee, school pupils, NPOs and residents in a march denouncing the scourge.
Colonel Benny Moodley commended the march for coinciding with Youth Month. He said drug abuse, especially among youth and children between the ages of 13 to 17, was escalating and should be of concern to families.
“Parents and families suffer the most from its [drugs] negative effects on children and from theft and sale of furniture and household items for money to promote the drug habit,” he said.
“We arrest daily many drug users of all ages found smoking, and dealers who make money at the expense of the poor, yet the problem persists. We will only succeed when the community reports the dealers and manufacturers who live among them.”
He said their main concern was that most of those arrested were users of the relatively cheap drugs of dagga, nyaope and whoonga. These addicts usually graduate to the more lethal and expensive cocaine, heroin and mandrax, which could result in increased and violent burglaries by users for more money to feed their habit.
Moodley said the march was a show of force by a united public and stakeholders, which included children, to create awareness among the youth.
Margaret Madolo of the City Council’s Department of Social Development said the march was in advance of the commemoration of International Day for Drug and Substance Abuse Awareness on 26 June. “It involves youths and children to prevent their temptation to drugs from a young age, and promotes positive and substance-free lifestyles,” she said.
Thabo Msutwana of the provincial Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department said drugs were a societal problem. “The involvement of children and residents in the march will hopefully encourage them to report the dealers and manufacturers who they know, as they live among them,” he said.
Emmanuel Mangena of the South African National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency (Sanca) said the march was a sign of togetherness against the damaging effects of dagga, nyaope, hookah pipes, cigarette smoking and snuff.
Mangena was hopeful the march would complement Sanca’s anti-drug campaigns at schools, churches and community meetings to achieve their message of zero tolerance of drugs and achieving a 100 percent pass rate at schools.
