Drugs, alcohol, children and the holidays
Parents and loved ones need to be aware of where their children are and who they are hanging out with.
The holiday season is around the corner, pupils are writing final exams, companies are holding their year-end functions and families are excited about their vacations.
The sun is out and South Africa is a beautiful country to enjoy outdoor activities over the December period. January holds the promise of a new year and new adventures. For many families though, January will bring only pain and sorrow.
Alcohol and drug abuse is already at epidemic proportions in South Africa and the holiday season brings with it celebrating and partying that cause more deaths from alcohol and drugs, either directly or indirectly, than any other period.
The incidence of drug and alcohol abuse is frightening among the youth aged 14 to 24. The most
common drugs these teenagers use are alcohol, weed/ dagga and methcathinone (cat) or methamphetamine (crystal meth, meth or tik). Each of these drugs is harmful to a developing brain and can result in mental disorders such as depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and even permanent brain damage. It cab cause death, injury or disability by accident, overdose or related behaviour such as aggression.
Parents and loved ones need to be aware of where their children are and who they are hanging out with. Drugs are available easily in many shopping centres or malls, unbeknown to the mall authorities, as well as petrol stations, social media and even school playgrounds.
“As bad as you think the problem may be, I can assure parents and loved ones that it is much worse,” says Brendon Richardson, managing director of The Moon Addiction Recovery Centre in Weltevreden Park.
“I believe we will see only the true effects of the increase in drug abuse over the next five to 10
years. Schools, corporates, government and society in general are ignoring the problem or dealing with it half-heartedly but the time will come when many of today’s youth will experience the devastating long-term effects of drugs such as cat and methamphetamine,” adds Richardson.
If parents are in doubt over what their children are doing, the centre encourages them to urine-test them (test kits are available at most pharmacies) and if necessary seek professional help immediately.
“When it comes to drug-testing your children, there is no need to feel ashamed or guilty; protecting them is your duty and it
is a far easier option than what the alternative offers,”says Richardson.
Signs of drug use include mood swings, aggressive behaviour, anxiety, shakiness, fidgeting and isolation. Paraphernalia associated with drug use can include what looks like very small bank bags, CD covers that are scratched overly, missing light bulbs, drinking straws that have been cut smaller, pens with the refill removed, plates lying under the bed, pieces of paper that have been folded like an envelope, bank cards or telephone cards that are unusually scratched, bent or broken and rolled-up bank notes.
Drug and alcohol addiction is a manageable condition – the sooner a person enters a recovery programme the better the chance of long-term recovery. There is help out there. The Moon Addiction Recovery Centre offers a two-hour awareness session for parents and families on the first Saturday of every month.
