25 June 2021
40% increase in Africa drug use predicted for 2030
26 June is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, more commonly know as World Drug Day. The World Drug Report, released on 24 June 2021 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), says that current projections suggest a 40 per cent increase in drug use in Africa by 2030, due to its rapidly growing and young population.
The report also states that while the impact of COVID-19 on drug challenges is not yet fully known, the analysis suggests that the social impact of the pandemic represent factors that could push more people into drug use.
One of the UNODC recommendations to more effectively prevent and treat instances of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) is to implement an integrated, people-centred and human-rights based approach to empowering African societies to develop sustainable solutions to drug use. It also recommends that African States be assisted to define and apply innovative and cost-effective assessment systems for regular monitoring of the drug situation on the continent.
“This is exactly why we will be hosting the ADDICTION 2021 Online Conference in July,” says Adrie Vermeulen, National Coordinator of SANCA – the South African Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. “We’ve designed the event to kickstart the biggest coordinated effort in Africa to create effective and long-lasting solutions to address the public health crisis of addiction.”
Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu has confirmed her participation as keynote speaker at the conference.
Other supporters and sponsors of the upcoming conference include:
- African Union
- Department of State of the US
- Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
- Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD)
- International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) and ISSUP SA
- International Technology Transfer Center Network for Drug Demand Reduction South Africa (ITTC SA)
- University of Cape Town
- Adcock Ingram
- Discovery Health
- Equity Pharmaceuticals
- HomeMed
- Higher Health
- Clinical Governance
“Addiction needs to be seen for what it is; a diagnosable, treatable medical condition. Not as weakness. Not as a lack of character. Not as something that needs to be punished,” says Vermeulen. “No country or company can afford to lose any more resources to ineffective, uncoordinated addiction treatment protocols.”
The World Drug Report is available at https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/wdr2021.html
More information about the ADDICTION 2021 Conference hosted by SANCA is available at www.addiction.org.za
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: Idele Prinsloo, 082 573 9219, idele@thatpoint.co.za
ABOUT SANCA
The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) is a non-profit organisation that is committed to the treatment, prevention and awareness of drug dependence within all nine provinces of South Africa. With more than 60 years’ experience in this field, it is one of the leading organisations fighting the ever-increasing substance use and abuse rates within the country. With 31 clinics and 74 service points throughout the country, SANCA is also one of the biggest non-profit organisations in South Africa, with all its branches affiliated to the SANCA National Directorate based in Lyndhurst, Gauteng.
For more information on the ADDICTION 2021 Conference:
Website: www.addiction.org.za
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/6764476872391712768/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/472710550800721