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issues as well as access to relevant resources. Furthermore, they require communication skills in addressing sensitive issues. If there is a lack of programmes aimed at equipping parents and families with such information, then they are not being empowered to adequately assist minors prone to substance abuse in South Africa. Evans and Mallick, (1997) further submit that it is important to be aware of the kind of support and knowledge parents require in order to be actively involved in drug prevention strategies. Parents may become frustrated when faced with a substance abusing child, to the extent that parents may start to fight amongst themselves because they cannot agree on how best to handle the substance abusing child. More research and funding is needed to develop and sustain such a programme. Compensation and incentives such as refreshments, transportation and child care facilities could also be offered to parents as motivation for them to participate after work or in the evenings. (Evans and Mallick, 1997) suggest that appropriate training and support can assist parents to become more effective in helping their children resist substance use/abuse.
Section 9(2)(d) of the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act clearly states that prevention programmes must focus on “engaging young people in sports, arts and recreational activities and ensuring the productive and constructive use of leisure time.” However, sports and recreation is a rare sight in underprivileged schools and rural areas and so is the implementation of anti-substance abuse programmes. A study done by Puljević and Learmonth (2014) among local health trainers in Cape Town’s peri-urban settlements found that there was a lack of safe recreational spaces for the township-based youth (Puljević and Learmonth, 2014). One of the health trainers quoted in (Puljević and Learmonth, 2014:191) stated the following: “The children are bored; they are just there on the streets”.
In principle as per section 9(2)(d) the anti-substance abuse campaigns encourage learners and young people to engage in sports and recreation in order to keep them entertained and away from drugs. In reality this is not happening because there is a lack of sports and recreational activities in most rural and township schools and communities hence this favours only a privileged few.
According to (Puljević and Learmonth, 2014) most peri-urban structures lack open spaces and infrastructure for recreational and relaxation purposes. Hence, boredom and idleness is the number one reason reported by the majority of young people for engaging in substances. engaging in drugs
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(Morojele, 2010 and WHO, 2011). The message is inconsistent if young people are being encouraged to engage in sports and recreation but there are no sports and recreational facilities at their disposal. Both policy and prevention programmes need to be aligned for successful implementation of these programmes in both rural and urban areas alike. Policies need to be actionable and persons or organisations are required to be held accountable for the failure of these programmes.
Chapter 7 of the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) (2013-2017) outlines the roles and responsibilities of different departments/institutions in the fight against substance abuse. The NDMP emphasizes the importance of integration between various government departments, NGO’s, FBO’s and civil society in the scourge against substance abuse. It acknowledges the importance of these various bodies working together to combat the fight against substance abuse but does nothing to ensure that in reality this integration of various bodies and organizations actually takes place. The NDMP sets outlines the role of various government departments at national and provincial level in fighting the scourge of substance abuse. It also recognises the significant contribution that can be made by other stakeholders in the country (NDMP, 2013- 2017). Without such an integration substance abuse prevention programmes will have very little impact.
In the foreword to the NDMP, the Minister of Social Development acknowledged that the substance abuse problem in South Africa is everybody’s problem because it goes beyond the individual, destroying families and communities in the process. Substance abuse is the root of most social ills in our communities such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancies, crime, and even the breakdown of families as substance abuse puts so much strain in the family (Pienaar and Savic, 2016). As for the link between substance abuse and HIV (and Sexually Transmitted Infections) a study by Bana et al (2010) indicated that substance abuse is significantly associated with mulitiple sexual partners; with increased sexual activity and violent behaviour correlated to drug use; as well as higher risk of HIV infection. Karim (2016: 547) explains the co-morbidity of substance abuse and mental health; as well as increased risk for sexual activity related incidences such as pregnancy and HIV:
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“[M]any adolescents with mental health illnesses also experience poorer academic performance, higher rates of suicide, violence, substance abuse, pregnancy and psychopathology with ageing. In addition to an increased risk of mental health problems, high rates of alcohol dependence and the early initiation of, or participation in, binge drinking may increase the risk of negative sexual health outcomes by increasing the chances of unwanted pregnancy, risky sexual practices, and gender- based violence. In the context of sub- Saharan Africa, where HIV rates remain high, particularly among young women, mental health and substances use disorders could play a mediating role in further enhancing the risk of HIV infection in this already vulnerable group.”
The South African Police Service (SAPS) found that substance abuse accounts for 60% of the all the crime in South Africa (Tshitangano and Tosin, 2016). If more resources are pulled together much more can be achieved with successful monitoring and implementation. The prevention programmes with all the emphasis placed on them by both the NDMP and the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act, are not a solution on their own, better coordination is needed.