Hon Chairperson, hon members, thank you for the opportunity to address this House on the occasion of the second reading of the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Bill, which comes before the National Assembly at an opportune time.
During the month of June we have been paying tribute to the youth of Soweto of 1976. From then on, throughout the 1980s, children and youth bargained with their lives so that children could have better lives in the future. Today children and the youth have many opportunities. They no longer have to feel discriminated against on the basis of skin colour. Their rights are guaranteed by the Constitution, and government is fully committed to enabling every child to develop to her or his full potential.
However, one of the biggest threats to our children and youth achieving their full potential is the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse, which works against all present efforts to maximise human development. The International Day Against Substance Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June compels us to focus on the need to combat this scourge through awareness-raising, prevention, early intervention, treatment and aftercare programmes.
Every year, on 26 June, the relevant government departments, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and an increasing number of faith and community-based organisations concerned with combating this scourge, have been coming together under the banner of the National Anti- Drug Awareness Programme, branded Ke Moja, which means ``No thanks, I'm fine without drugs''.
This past year, the National Youth Commission took the lead in establishing and chairing the Ke Moja steering committee to ensure that youth-centred sustainable programmes sponsored by the Departments of Arts and Culture, Sport and Recreation, Education and Health and some civil society organisations are promoted, that role models from all walks of life are identified and made Ke Moja ambassadors, and that the antidrug message is spread effectively at a national level and to every corner of South Africa.
In 2004 I noted with some despair that drug abuse was no longer the pastime of the idle rich, who could afford to book themselves into private rehabilitation centres. It became evident, particularly in Cape Town, that a drug described as the most dangerous drug in the world in a documentary on DSTV, had hit the streets in the poorest areas. It was cheaper than any other drug and targeted primary school children and adults alike.
The scientific name for this drug is methamphetamine. The local name is tik. Recipes for its manufacture could be found on the Internet, embedded in children's comic texts, and its ingredients could be bought over the counter. There seemed not to be a family which was not affected. One hit was enough to cause addiction. Communities already affected by unemployment and poverty became affected by brutal murders committed by young people; young girls roamed the streets, unable to sleep at night, and the rate of teenage pregnancies and tik babies rocketed.
The scale of the problem made it clear that intervention was needed as soon as possible. Those medical experts who knew all about cocaine, heroin, mandrax and cannabis could not initially tell us much about these new drugs called tik, sugars, etc. The local names kept changing, and even some of the ingredients, but they had in common the addition of chemicals such as ephedrine, rat poison, drain cleaner and lithium or battery acid. These are ingredients that may even be added to the home-brew in the townships, when clients complain that they want the home-brew to be like whisky.
I am encouraged to know that the Medicines Control Council is in the process of restricting the over-the-counter sale of ephedrine, an ingredient found in many cold medicines. In the future, more will have to be done to monitor and control the availability of the other chemical precursors mentioned.
The SA Police Service's report entitled, ``Crime situation in South Africa'' indicates that between 2002 and 2006, a 72% increase in drug- related crimes was recorded. The widespread availability of drugs and drug use in our country is a cause for concern.
I am proud to say that since 2004 we have had numerous workshops, consultative conferences and national events that have convinced our stakeholders that we need to broaden our approach to be able to intervene effectively to prevent our youth and children from experimenting with these fatal drugs.
We have renewed the National Drug Master Plan, and reappointed the Central Drugs Committee whose task it is to synthesise the many plans for each department into a co-ordinated national plan and to monitor the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan at all levels of government.
As the Minister has said, our mandate as the ANC-led government was renewed in Polokwane last year when the national conference of the ANC adopted the resolution to intensify a co-ordinated antidrug campaign. It must be noted that the current Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act, Act 20 of 1992, has become outdated and is focused primarily on institutional treatment.
Treatment services are not equally available and accessible to all citizens, and are unaffordable for the major part of the population that requires this service. It is furthermore a fact that we can never have sufficient institutions to meet the ever-growing demand for treatment of substance abuse. Prevention has been found to be the most effective approach to reducing the demand for substances internationally. However, the current Act makes very little provision for prevention and for community-based and out-patient services.
The successful implementation of this Bill requires the commitment of all sectors of government, the private sector and organs of civil society to work together to ensure that this Bill becomes effective in combating substance abuse. We commend our law enforcement agencies for their successes in curbing the supply of substances. Departments such as Safety and Security, Education, Health, Sport and Recreation, Arts and Culture, Provincial and Local Government and the National Youth Commission and others will play a critical role and must collaborate in the provision of integrated prevention, early intervention, treatment and reintegration services and programmes.
The Bill makes provision for the establishment of programmes for the prevention of substance abuse. It will enable us to give particular attention to interventions that target young people with a view to equipping them with the necessary skills to resist the urge to experiment with drugs. The Bill provides for the establishment and registration of community-based services, specifically for prevention and early intervention services. These will also improve accessibility to treatment and services, not only for vulnerable persons, but also for those affected by the addiction to drugs and alcohol, in other words, family members.
This is a significant shift from the traditional approach to treatment, in that it recognises the vital role of family, friends and the community in substance abuse interventions. The Bill further provides for the establishment of at least one public treatment centre in each province, as well as the establishment of private centres. It will ensure equitable distribution across the country.
The provision of halfway houses is in recognition of the fact that out- patient services are more cost-effective. Interestingly, this was corroborated by the outcomes of an international symposium on substance abuse and treatment that was held here in Cape Town in April. The Bill establishes conditions for the registration of treatment centres. This move is long overdue, because some centres have been plagued by controversy and allegations of human rights violations. This will not only ensure the quality of services, but will allow for proper monitoring and evaluation and ensure compliance as well as international benchmarking.
The Bill gives recognition to the fact that more and more young people are becoming addicted to substances. Hence, the Bill provides for the treatment of children in facilities.
This Bill is consistent with the human rights enshrined in the Constitution and other pieces of legislation, as it protects the rights of both voluntary and involuntary service users. The implementation of the recruitment and retention strategy for social workers and other social service professionals is part of the strategy to enhance our capacity to effectively implement these tactics.
Chapter 10 of this Bill makes provision for the establishment of the Central Drug Authority and the executive committee and its composition. Of importance is that the Bill also provides for the management and functions of the CDA, provincial substance abuse forums and local drug action committees. This will bring about co-ordination between various sectors in their endeavour to combat the scourge of drug abuse. In conclusion, I wish to thank all the members of the portfolio committee and the various organisations for their assistance in shaping this Bill. I would also like to thank the officials of the Department of Social Development who, together with the portfolio committee, worked until midnight for many days in the recent past. I would also like to thank the other departments for their hard work and persistence over this period. Thank you. [Applause.]