STEVE TSHWETE'S BRAINCHILD TAKES OFF IN CITY

There are several drug counselling and rehabilitation centres around the
Western Cape, functioning to varying degrees of success, but as the saying
goes "prevention is better than cure".

Co-ordinated drug abuse awareness programmes in South Africa have been
scarce with the last national campaign being "I'm addicted to life" in
1995. Since 1997 there has been nothing.

The new national campaign, Ke Moja - No Thanks, I'm fine - was launched in
Cape Town on Thursday, the International Day Against Drug Abuse.

The campaign launch was at the Cape Town City Hall and was attended by
several pupils, in addition to government and business representatives.
They got a small taste of the live theatre that the pupils will get to see
at their schools later in the year.

Ke Moja targets the youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who are the most at
risk of being exposed to drug abuse. The aim of the campaign is to empower
youth to make responsible choices by providing them with accurate
information about drug abuse and the skill to resist drug use.

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) experience in
different countries has shown that to attract the attention of children,
especially ones at a high risk of being exposed to drugs, you have to use
the people whom they respect and whose opinion matters to them - most often
their peers.

UNODC programme manager Gary Lewis said: "But these people need to be
properly informed with accurate information. The shock-and-horror approach
does not work."

The first objective of the project is to stimulate awareness of substance
abuse in society. The second objective is to increase knowledge about drug
abuse and associated risks. "Also to influence attitudes and behaviour away
from drug use towards healthy lifestyles," said Lewis.

Ke Moja takes the form of information brochures, posters and roadshows at
schools, shopping and community centres. Open air events, radio shows and
music are also used to spread the word.

The project was originally sparked by the late Minister of Safety and
Security, Steve Tshwete, when he called for an initiative to address the
drug and crime problem.

In response to his challenge the Department for Safety and Security
collaborated with the Central Drug Authority and the UNODC and they put
together a programme early last year.

A year ago a pilot project for Ke Moja was run in 12 schools in Tshwane
(Pretoria).

An independent company was hired to evaluate whether the objectives of the
project had been met.

The survey found that the material used had reached the target audience
because the respondents recognised the brand and could recall accurate
information about the subject of drug abuse and its attendant risks.

"Pupils also understood that there was a strong connection between drug
abuse and the spread of HIV/Aids," said Lewis.

The first areas to be targeted by the Cape Town campaign are Mitchell's
Plain, Khayelitsha, Hanover Park, Bonteheuwel, Manenberg, Nyanga and Elsies
River.

Schools in these areas have been pinpointed by the Western Cape Education
Department's Safer Schools Project as the ones in the greatest need of a
drug awareness campaign.

The United Nations and the Department of Social Development have sponsored
the Cape Town roll-out of Ke Moja to the tune of R1.2 million, but this
money will not be enough to take the campaign to the rest of the country.

This is where business and private individuals are going to have to step in.