Statistics on Teenage Drug Use in South Africa

I would love to be able to give you an article listing the statistics of teenage drug use in South Africa, but you will no believe me when I tell you how difficult our government makes it to get hold of these statistics which I believe should be openly disclosed to our country’s population so that everybody could be aware of the epidemic proportions of this problem.

The other day I went to go and see one of the officers who is the head of one of the South African Police Drug Units in that specific area. We had a great conversation, but when the question of being able to get official SAPS statistics on teenage drug use came up, it was as if I had walked into a brick wall, I was simply told that this information was classified and that they would not be able to help me.

I found this rather shocking as I feel it is our right as citizens to know what is going on, so I pressed on a bit in order to perhaps get some information. The officer with whom I was talking said that they would love to help me, but that their job would be on the line should they disclose any such information to me.

It was at this point which the frustration brewing below the surface of the officer became apparent, I could see that the people working to help keep our streets clean are just as frustrated with the red tape and restrictions as we the citizens are when it comes to how we can keep our streets clean and our kids safe, it is as if they have been tasked with a job to do, but just as many restrictions which keep them from doing it effectively.

So although I was taken aback by not being able to get simple statistics, I decided to continue the conversation and to find out what was causing the underlying frustration which was being well disguised.
I then put the question to the officer as to how bad the situation is when it comes to the statistics on teenage drug use in South Africa and particularly in the area which they policed, the answer was what I expected as it is what I personally have experienced and that is that the situation is spiraling out of control.

So the next obvious question was, ‘Why then is so little seen to be done on the part of the Drug Squad for this particular area?’ and the reply was shocking. I was told that very often when a raid is scheduled and authorized, at the last moment the officers and vehicles assigned for the operation are often redeployed to man standard vehicle offence road blocks and the raid gets cancelled.

Now to me this is a very scary thing, drug enforcement officers standing petty road block duty, instead of actually raiding known drug houses. Now I ask you, what is worse, the guy with an outstanding speeding fine or the guy who is dealing dope to our kids?

The next thing which came out is that for an entire area, a substantially large area, there is only one vehicle assigned to the drug unit and that this vehicle spends more time in for repair than on the streets where it should be, now ask yourself, how long will it take the drug operators to recognize this vehicle and avoid it at all costs.

The scariest fact of all is that I could see the unrestricted passion which this officer had and their commitment to the war on drugs, but as usual, this passion is being stifled and subdued by the system and red tape set in place by a government who is meant to be serving the people.
The topic then got hotter as the pressure valves opened and the officer began to vent the obvious frustration, things such as successful raids meaning nothing as the main culprits are on the street the next day due to shoddy follow up procedures such as the booking and incarceration procedures done by other detectives and SAPS personal.

There is something drastically wrong with the system when man power is not given to police divisions which I believe are essential such as the drug squad, when only 3 people are expected to run the drug operations for an entire area and when it is said to you that the government does not see drug offences as serious criminal offences.

After all, I would like to put my foot in it and say that a large proportion of all crime committed in South Africa is drug and alcohol related, what happened to the days of SANAP, where has that passion for keeping our kids safe from drugs and the like gone, there is more effort put into tracking speeding offenders than drug lords, personally I believe it is because fines bring in more money and drug busts are effort and dangerous!

Please do not get me wrong, it is not the officers trying to do their jobs who are to blame for this, as I learned, they are restricted by the legislation and red tape of the government, even although they have a passion to do their job, it is made virtually impossible for them, all man power is redirected to crimes which can generate income for the government, but this all at the expense of our public safety and freedom.

So the next time you get online looking for statistics on teenage drug use and are only able to find overseas information, this is the reason, our government feels we do not have the right to know, if they do release any, it will be what they want you to hear and in no way reflect the truth.

The police are not to blame alone for the soaring drug abuse figures as there are many dedicated officers who want to do their job, but are being stopped from doing so by this same system, it is time that the South African Government stops worrying about just their income and starts paying attention once again to the safety and security of its citizens. Join us at www.recoveringjunkie.com, get the mini course and newsletters and help us to begin to make a difference when it comes to drugs!