Substance abuse rife in George

GEORGE NEWS - In light of a nationwide increase in sub-stance abuse, the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is urging the public to ensure that their loved ones are placed in a registered substance use disorder treatment facility for increased chances of recovery.

"We recommend that members of the public find a suitable registered facility. All registered facilities are required to possess a registration certificate, which must be displayed in an area where clients can see it. If not displayed, families must request proof of registration before the admission process is started," said Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez.

The local picture

According to Freddy Trout, founder of People Against Substance Abuse (Pasa) in George, there has been a noticeable increase in drug and alcohol abuse, especially among the homeless.

Another huge concern is learners who experiment with drugs from as young as 12 years. "Learners are in the developmental phase of their lives and using drugs means they won't develop into the adults they should. We are extremely concerned by the sharp increase in homeless people - especially children living on the street," said Trout.

Public assistance
The public can assist by supporting organisations that help the homeless get off the street and by not handing out food or money at traffic lights.

"By giving handouts, you are effectively keeping them on the street. Most of the homeless in George are addicted to some form of substance and giving them money or food just keeps them there. Their lives will never change while people are making it easy for them to stay on the street instead of cleaning up and looking for jobs. This is also a major contributor to crime," said Trout.

Pasa can be contacted on 044 150 0007 or on their WhatsApp number, 068 487 4848.

Akeso confirms increase
Hospital manager at Akeso Clinic George, Belinda Campher, says this year they recorded a 67% increase from last year in admissions of adults for rehabilitation. "Over the same period we admitted 43% more adolescents with substance use disorders. In my opinion many of the patients admitted for general psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety and trauma often use substances as a coping mechanism although they do not have a substance use disorder yet," she said.

Akeso is an inpatient facility for the treatment of general psychiatric disorders and also registered as a rehabilitation centre for substance use disorders.

Contact Campher on 044 8050129 or via email to belinda.c@akeso.co.za.

Akeso is an inpatient facility for the treatment of general psychiatric disorders and also registered as a rehabilitation centre for patients with substance use disorders.

Feedback from Sanca
George's director and social worker at the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca), Denise de Beer, confirmed a definite increase in new admissions.

"Last year we had 282 admissions and for the 2022 reporting period we had 354," she said.

The most common substances are alcohol and cannabis, especially among the youth. They also saw an increase in multi-drug abuse which includes cannabis, Mandrax and tik, as well as heroin.

"The prevalence and increase in substance use disorders within our community is an ever growing concern, especially as service users often report with dual or triple diagnosis. The person often not only lives with a substance use disorder, but also with a psychiatric disorder and/or chronic physical illness. This phenomenon makes the collaboration between us as service providers vitally important as the treatment of this condition requires a multi-disciplinary intervention," De Beer said.