Education the only key to prevent drug abuse

BARBERTON – Drugs and the effects they have on people are no longer a secret. Drug abuse is real and whichever way you look at it, if it continues at this alarming rate, it’s like fighting a losing battle if only a few people are interested in making life difficult for dealers.

We should start making waves here in town.
For some it is too late, for others, it might not be. Yet they continue misusing substances because the world they have entered, has already robbed them physically and mentally. For them it has become a safe haven to stay within the confinement of those walls. Not because it does them any good, but because it’s familiar.

The only thing anyone can do, apart from trying to break down the walls of the last-mentioned group, is to start by educating those who might become victims in future. This includes each and every other person, regardless of sex, race or age, whom has not yet turned to drugs for release from life’s stress.

Many of you have seen or heard of the narcotic, fittingly termed “krokodil”, which is a drug that literally eats junkies. Although it might seem highly unlikely this drug has already reached our small town, it is not all that far-fetched or impossible that something similar has already found its way through the cracks. Cheap, easy to prepare and readily available – the ingredients are things found in most households.

Barberton Times spoke to Nic Eksteen and his daughter Simoné, pharmacists of Eksteen Pharmacy. “Krokodil is real. It has a scaly, green, reptile-like effect on the skin. Immediate damage and even rupture of blood vessels occur, with subsequent necrosis of surrounding tissue. Complications include abscesses, thrombophlebitis (blood clots and inflammation in blood vessels) and gangrene (death and decomposition of soft tissue). The skin rots and literally falls off, leaving parts of the skeleton exposed. It has a survival rate of two to three years,” Simoné told us.

According to the Eksteens, the drug is injected with a mixture containing codeine, paint thinners, petrol, hydrochloric acid, iodine, lighter fluid and red phosphorus and is a cheap alternative for heroin.
Already having been in circulation in Russia since 2003, it has now also stuck out its head in Arizona, USA and it is estimated that one million people are using it already.

We asked the Eksteens to explain exactly what a narcotic substance is. “It is any class of substance that blunts the senses like opium, morphine, codeine, belladonna and alcohol. In large quantities they produce euphoria, stupor (suspension or great diminution of sensibility) or coma. When used constantly, it can cause habituation or addiction.”
Codeine is highly addictive and according to Nic, it has nasty side effects.
“Codeine is a widely abused substance because it is readily easy to obtain, not strictly regulated and more affordable than many narcotic drugs. It is partially metabolised in the liver to morphine. When one looks at the chemical structure, codeine, morphine and heroin are all related.

This is why authorities in South Africa decided to introduce the codeine-care initiative. This is a national database system to be introduced in 2014. This is not only to regulate the use of codeine and related substances (self-medication and prescription), but also to help address, curb and ultimately prevent misuse,” said Simoné.
“People must not see this as a spiteful act by the authorities, but rather a step taken in the greater interest of individuals and the community as a whole,” Nic said.

The whole idea of the codeine-care initiative is to educate by making available information, links and advice helplines, which are vital.

“Each patient who wants to buy a codeine-containing medicine will have to provide their ID-number, address and so forth to the pharmacy where it is purchased. All pharmacies will be linked up to a centralised national database, and within a few seconds the sale will be approved or rejected, according to the information stored,” said Nic.
“The request will be rejected if the same or similar product was purchased very recently, depending on pack size and dose, be it at the same or even a different pharmacy in another town or province.

“Furthermore, product information to both pharmacist and support personnel and consumer will be embedded in a 2D-barcode printed on the pack. Easy-to-read information can be accessed quickly, like prescribed dosage and drug interactions,” continued Simoné.

The Eksteens said that people should always feel free to talk to their pharmacists and concluded, “Whether it is to gain knowledge about a substance, regarding drug addiction and relevant rehabilitation, we care for the individuals in this community and we love to help. Together we can become a drug-wise community”.

Enquiries: Eksteen Pharmacy on 013-712-2181 or pay them a visit in Crown Street. Barberton Times also appeals to the community, especially our young people, to seek help as soon as you become aware of a friend or person dealing in drugs. Send us an anonymous letter and we will make sure it ends up in the right hands.