Central Drug Authority reintroduces the National Drug Master Plan

The Central Drug Authority (CDA) revealed its plan to reintroduce the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP).

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In an event held at Emperors Palace, those in attendance were told about the progress in implementing the plan introduced by the Minister of Social Development, Linidwe Zulu, in June 2020.

“The CDA is reintroducing the NDMP, a single document or a blueprint of national efforts to counter substance abuse, misuse and substance use disorders caused by illegal substances and illicit drug trafficking,’’ said the chairperson of the CDA, Nandi Mayathula Khoza.

Khoza said the NDMP is implemented with several goals that include the treatment of substance use, supply reduction through effective law enforcement and responding to drug-related crimes.

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Khoza said that the mission of NDMP is to embrace a balanced, integrated and evidence-based approach to domestic drug use, misuse and abuse, invest in building safe communities through appropriate drug prevention and impact minimisation strategies, control the demand and supply of substance abuse and misuse, and effectively control substances for therapeutic use and the emergence of new psycho-active substances.Various sectors and the CDA were introduced on the day.

These include the United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Department of Social Development and the South Africa International Technology Transfer Centre (ITTC).

According to the regional programme officer for UNODC, Gunasekaran Rengaswamy, the criminalisation of drugs has led law enforcement and judicial structures to respond to rising drug use by arresting, incarcerating and convicting people, including children and young people for drug-related crimes.

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Chief director of social development, Siza Magangoe, said social development promotes the implementation of evidence-based substance use prevention, early intervention, treatment reintegration and aftercare programmes and services.

In addition, she said that, as the leading department in addressing substance abuse, social development would support the CDA to hold a summit as mandated by the law.

“We will further support, attend and participate in all provincial dialogues leading to the third summit on substance abuse scheduled for November,” said Magangoe.

For more information, visit www.centraldrugauthority.co.za.

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