SA distractsh from the shtory by blaming drugsh

And hundreds of thousands abuse cocaine and tik, says a UN report

SOUTH Africans are the biggest dagga smokers in the world, with at least 2.5-million citizens using the drug.

SAA crew in cocaine bust Effects of doing tik Acquitted, but tik mom can’t forgive self The country also has the most abusers of amphetamine-type stimulants, the most common being tik, with double the percentage of addicts than other countries. These shocking revelations were made yesterday at the release of the annual report of the international narcotics control board of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime. And a presentation by the department of social development at the UN launch showed that: 237 000 South Africans are totally dependent on drugs and will feed their addiction at all costs; 1.97-million South Africans are alcoholics; and alcohol abuse and drug addiction cost the economy R20-billion a year in accidents, injuries, assaults and medical treatment. These figures, said the deputy chairman of the Central Drug Authority, David Bayever, were based on studies by the Medical Research Council, the SA Red Cross and the police. “Drug use in South Africa is extremely serious and is twice the world norm,” said Bayever. He said that 8 percent of the population aged between 12 and 64 was addicted to dagga, as opposed to a 4 percent average in other countries. Bayever said the dagga-abuse figures were “only the tip of the iceberg”, given that the problem was seriously under-reported. In addition to the 1.97-million alcoholics in South Africa, about 3.2-million people are “risky drinkers” who consume large amounts of alcohol at weekends. The cost of heavy drinking included 7,000 lives taken by drunken drivers every year. The department of social development said that, though 59 percent of people aged between 12 and 64 do not drink, at least 37 percent are “binge drinkers”. Drug rehabilitation centres struggle to cope with the scourge of abuse. They can accommodate only 17,500 patients a year. Dr Jonathan Lucas, the southern Africa representative of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime, said South Africa did not have the capacity to fight drug trafficking. He said that in addition to West African, mainly Nigerian, drug peddlers, there had been an influx of Asian drugs cartels. Bayever said drug abuse was prevalent among children under 16. Half of this group had experimented with drugs. The government report said that 20 percent of dagga smokers were boys under 16 and 7 percent were girls. However, 7 percent of both boys and girls abused heroin, mandrax, cocaine, and tik. Children who smoked dagga were almost four times more likely to be stabbed at school than those who did not. Those who drank alcohol were twice as likely to be stabbed. About 40 percent of child dagga smokers reported having had sex, compared with 5 percent of non-smokers. Thirty percent of child drinkers had sex, compared with 3 percent of those who did not drink. Fact Box Between 42 and 98 percent of drug patients in the Western Cape are hooked on tik South Africa, Mauritius and Zambia have highest increase of heroin abuse in Africa Western Cape has more alcoholics and tik addicts than any other province Dagga is the most widely used drug in the world; 42 million addicts are in Africa

- The Times

South Africans prefer the Safer Natural Alternative

Cannabis remains the most used drug in South Africa even though amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) like Tik pose the greatest threat, the Central Drug Authority said on Thursday.

"Cannabis abuse in South Africa is twice the global norm," CDA deputy chairman David Bayever told the media, law enforcement and international representatives at a presentation.

While the international norm was four percent, in South Africa it was just over eight percent of the population who used cannabis.

Bayever said cannabis, also known as dagga or Mary Jane, was the most major drug choice among South Africans.

He also said the cannabis produced in South Africa was more potent than that of most other countries. This is because of the high levels of tetrahydrocannabol (THC), which makes the drug more addictive. (Phew some reaching here - would love to see this science - but hey his 5c)

However, Tik and its ATS counterparts remain the biggest threat.

This is because they can be easily produced -- in a basic kitchen for example.

Production is also made easier because the ingredients used - ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine (precursor drugs) - are produced in the country and therefore do not need to be smuggled in, which is also costly.

The Southern African representative for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Jonathan Lucas said the Tik problem at present had the potential to become even more of a threat.

"You can get more profit out of Tik."

He said regional co-operation was needed to combat the flow of drugs, especially precursor drugs.

"The most important thing is to support the chemical monitoring unit together with the pharmaceutical companies.

"If the countries in Southern Africa do not take the control of chemical precursor as an important issue you're going to have a major problem," said Lucas. - Sapa

Deal with it, don't Botox it - Manuel

Direct from Cloud CooCoo Land:

Manuel called for action against drug dealers.

"It's chemical warfare launched against our people," he said. "We must act to root it out.

"It's weapons of mass destruction against the children of workers."

He said if people in communities raised the issue with police, and the police did not act, they should appeal to police union Popcru. - SAPA

To Be Noted:

• R1.6 Billion Bailout for SAA - The National Drug Carrier...
• No mention of Alcohol being a drug;
• No mention that the drug alcohol is the leading drug causing mortality and cost to the health system
• No mention that by 2010 10% of our population will be born retarded becuase of the drug alcohol
  
• No mention that in the National Drug Master Plan alcohol is not mentioned
• No mention Alcohol falls under the department of Trade and Industry and NOT the CDA
• No mention that annually our road death figures show that alcohol is the "weapons of mass destruction against the children of workers." of which he speaks
• No mention that our National Average rate of consumption has doubled since the department of Trade and Industry took charge of the selling of the drug alcohol.
• 
  
• 
  
• ehm... no mention POPCRU want dagga regulated...
  

Fine Trevor, don't botox it - deal with it!

Time to regulate everything equally!

Not to hide in the crevasses of folding fiscal frock, to face all the drugs for the effect they have. The market they occupy. Taxing and controlling it.

Much less painful than funding a national drug carrier