GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality in conjunction with other departmental stakeholders officially launched the Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC) at the Rosemoor Community Hall, with the different stakeholders putting up information stalls for the community.
Mia Davids of the Department of Social Development shared information on the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) and LDAC. Davids said the launch was held on 26 June, International Drug Awareness Day, to create awareness of drug abuse in communities.
"Drugs are destroying our communities. People out there feel helpless and we as the stakeholders need to work together to help people in need, including families who cannot deal with the effects of drug abuse in their homes," she said. "God teaches us the difference between right and wrong, so let us be the change we want to see. Parents, you cannot do drugs and expect your child not to do it."
The purpose of the LDAC is to give effect to the NDMP and to compile and implement an action plan to combat substance abuse in the jurisdiction of the municipality. The LDAC must give annual feedback to the Provincial Substance Abuse Forum and Central Drug Authority (CDA). The George Municipality, Department of Social Development, Department of Health, police, Sanca, Ithemba Lobomi, Correctional Services and Kidstop are stakeholders in LDAC.
Portfolio Councillor of Community Services, Libraries and Sport, Sean Snyman, is the champion for this initiative and was the keynote speaker at the event. "Nobody wants to become an addict, but you may enter a room and will be given drugs - your first reaction is to say 'no' and then there would be someone who calls you scared or a sissy. You think 'one little puff won't hurt me' but later it becomes once a week and eventually it takes over your life. What starts off as a social thing takes over your life and you only live for your next fix."
Snyman said communities fear for their lives because of one drug lord and keep quiet, but if the community stands together, it is only one person (the drug lord) against 5 000 people. "If we do not do anything about the problem, we are just as guilty and part of the problem. Life has no replay button, but we can surely change the future," he said.
Snyman shared a message that spells out the word "attitude": A is for acknowledging the problem, T is for talking about your issues, T is for taking ownership, I is for identifying problem areas (stakeholders), T is to teach good practices, U is for a unified approach, D is to determine a desired outcome and E is to evaluate the progress.
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