Chairperson, Minister and colleagues, I have to admit that until I read quite a bit of research documentation on substance abuse, I had no idea of the magnitude of the problem facing us or the prevalence of substance abuse among children and adolescents. Before dealing with some aspects of the Bill, I would like to share some of this information with you.
A 2006 study showed that 25,95% male students in Grade 8 had abused alcohol in the preceding 30 days, and 17,2% had abused cannabis. Furthermore, the current ever-increasing use of cheap, readily available drugs such as tik has increased between 2003 and 2004 from 21 patients to 376, and here I'm using patients to demonstrate the trebling of the patient load within a period of only six months.
We understand that these percentages have continued to increase dramatically. In a country where we have a high level of criminality, it has been established that six out of every 10 arrestees in Cape Town - and this is in 2000 - tested positive for illegal drugs. Subsequent studies in three metros confirmed the connection between substance abuse and crime.
These horrific statistics are supplied by the alcohol and drug abuse research units of the MRC, Medical Research Council, and they demonstrate, even to lay people like myself, the huge problem we have to acknowledge.
Most of these studies had been conducted in the Western Cape. However, we have to understand that all provinces throughout our country are affected, albeit to a lesser degree. You heard from both the Minister and the chairman of the portfolio committee how our societies are affected at all levels - the poor, the rich, everyone can be subjected to abuse.
The MRC has offered us constructive guidance on to how to address this huge problem. We believe that this Bill, if fully implemented -and we've just heard from the previous speaker that it again needs more attention - provides the framework for a constructive engagement, in particular with our youth, not only in terms of rehabilitation and prevention, but also reduction of risky behaviour.
We need to appreciate that in the very first sentence of the memorandum on the objects of the Bill, it is stated, and I quote:
A concerted effort is required from the three tiers of government and civil society to strive towards a drug-free society.
Before anything else, we need to create community awareness campaigns and particularly address the youth via the churches, schools and their own organisations. [Time expired.] Thank you.