DURBAN'S TEEN DRUG USERS

Drug abuse among Durban teenagers is on the rise with 27% of patients in
treatment programmes under the age of 20.

Experts say abusers are getting younger with reports of children as young
as 11 being admitted for treatment.

Speaking to The Mercury, they said more children and teenagers were being
treated for substance abuse and outreach programmes at schools showed a
"definite increase" in abuse.

"Not only have numbers increased (in Durban), but ages for treatment are
getting younger. In one case, for example, we had an 11-year-old with a
heroin addiction, said Carol du Toit, Director of Sanca (the South African
National Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse) in Durban.

"Young people are presenting (in treatment) for glue sniffing, dagga,
mandrax and alcohol abuse."

Research by the South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use
also showed an increase in the number of youngsters under 20 who were in
treatment.

Figures in its July/December report for 2003 show that Durban's percentage
of patients under 20 in treatment programmes is the highest compared to
four other cities.

The network's statistics showed that 27% of patients in treatment
programmes were under 20. The figure was 19% in 2000.

The network is an alcohol and drug monitoring system conducted in Durban,
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Its report showed that alcohol and dagga were the most common primary drugs
of abuse for people under 20 years of age in Durban. In this category the
city had the highest figures for alcohol abuse (43%) and the third highest
for dagga (45%). Mpumalanga led with 67%.

Adding to this, experts said the disintegrating family system had worsened
matters, often resulting in youngsters going to places such as nightclubs
where they sought social comforts.

Therefore child authorities favour the provision of what has been termed
"healthy entertainment" that offers "clean" alternatives for a more
socially stable younger generation.

One example of this is the Youth X-Treme community project based at the
Thunderdome in Mayville that was launched at the weekend.

The objective of the project is to offer young people a weekend "chill-out"
space as an alternative to clubs, drugs, alcohol and other socially
destructive forces.

Joan Van Niekerk, Director of Childline, said such concepts for young
entertainment in the city were really needed.

"One problem is that there are so few places that young people can go to
for clean entertainment in the larger Durban area."

Primary drug of abuse (%) for patients younger than 20 years of age -
selected drugs:

CT DBN PE GAU MPA
Alcohol 4 43 16 8 20
Dagga 42 45 28 55 67
Methaqualone 33 9 39 25 0
Heroin 7 2 0 4 6

Change in percentage of patients in treatment under age 20:

2000 2003

Cape Town 17 22 Durban 19 27 Port Elizabeth n/a 18 Gauteng 17 26 Mpumalanga
7 21

Treatment demand for both dagga and Mandrax-related problems is
substantially higher for persons under 20 than for older persons.

A 2% increase in the proportion of people under 20 choosing heroin as their
drug of abuse was noted between the first and second half of 2003
(especially among females).

A big increase in treatment demand for Speed (classified as a 'club drug')
was noted in Cape Town in 2003, especially among under-20s, of whom 5%
choose Speed as their primary drug of abuse.

Inhalant/solvent use among young people continues to be an issue.

Methcathinone 'Cat' use among young patients in the central Eastern Cape
and Gauteng was reported.

Use of ephedrine (widely used for weight loss, as an energy booster, and to
enhance athletic performance) among young male adolescents was noted in PE.

Information supplied by the South African Community Epidemiology Network on
Drug Use