Signs of the growing substance abuse crisis among young people in Alexandra are becoming impossible to ignore.

Police say they routinely confiscate dagga and vapes from schoolchildren during searches, painting a troubling picture of how deeply the problem has seeped into everyday life.

Terrance Makananisa, director of South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca) central rand alcohol and drug centre, confirmed the severity of the situation at a recent awareness event, noting how substance abuse has taken root in the lives of young people.

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The stakeholder engagement event, hosted by Sanca in collaboration with Guardian Angel Wildlife and Marine Trust in Alexandra on Tuesday, brought together community members, organisations, police, and City of Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille. The goal was to raise awareness about the scale of the crisis in Alexandra.

Raymond Kramer, founder of Guardian Angel Wildlife and Marine Trust, said Zille had expressed interest in understanding the substance abuse crisis across Gauteng, and Alexandra was seen as a vital starting point. Kramer, whose organisation has already set its sights on Alex with the aim of steering youngsters away from drugs and other negative influences, said the fight against drugs begins with discipline.

He pointed to initiatives like Keep Kasi Clean, noting that teaching children not to litter lays the foundation for bigger life choices. “Without discipline you can never succeed in life. Staying off drugs is about discipline.”

That belief in personal responsibility was shared by Alex resident Peter Mmuse, who is in recovery. “If you don’t want to drink or take drugs, you can stop. It comes from you, from within, it is about discipline.”

To cultivate that discipline and leadership skills children need to step into brighter futures, Kramer said Guardian Angel is working to build 3 000 young Guardian Angel scouts. “We want to expose them to nature, to discipline, and they will love it. Scouts become some of the world’s top leaders because of the character building they get. They just don’t want to do drugs because they look forward to the next badge.”

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The hope is that scouts will become role models in their households, reversing cycles of negative influence. This is particularly important because, according to police, most young people start using substances because they are exposed to them at home.

Makananisa said dysfunctional families also fuel the crisis. This, coupled with young people’s easy access to drugs, as Zille observed, makes the crisis all the more difficult to address.

Makananisa stressed that no single sector can solve the problem alone. “We need schools, churches, community institutions, and, above all, we need the community itself.”

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