HIP-HOP TO BE THE YOUTH'S POSITIVE LINGO

South African schools have become battlegrounds and havens for drug
trafficking, Social Development Deputy Minister Jean Swanson-Jacobs
said yesterday.

Swanson-Jacobs was addressing guests at the Ke Moja Hip-Hop
Anti-Drug Campaign at Mannah Guest house in Kempton Park.

"Drug trafficking has become the order of the day in our schools," she said.

She said drug and alcohol abuse was a serious social challenge in the country.

Swanson-Jacobs said drug abuse was fuelling high levels of violence,
crime, road accidents, teenage depression and suicide.

To combat this increasing problem, it was important to find new ways
of reaching the youth.

"This campaign should be seen as our national strategy to combat
substance abuse, focusing specifically on prevention and early
intervention programmes," she said.

The department intended to use hip-hop music as a transformation
tool because it was the language youth understood.

"Over the past 30 years, hip-hop has grown to become the most
popular music genre in the world today amongst the 14 to 24 age group."

She said the aim of the gathering was to consider how the Ke Moja
Campaign could use hip-hop culture to its advantage.

The structures of the Central Drug Authority, such as Provincial
Drug Forums and Local Drug Action committees should both facilitate
and be strengthened by this campaign, Jean Swanson-Jacobs said.