Community unites at SANCA Soweto’s anti-drug awareness event

The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) Soweto, in collaboration with Ke Moja Programme, hosted an event titled “Say No to Drugs”, which aimed at tackling substance abuse and raising awareness about the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse, on March 13 at Tladi.

The event encouraged open dialogue within the community while educating residents about the dangers of substance abuse and the importance of united efforts to build a drug-free society.

Speaking to Urban News, SANCA Soweto vice-chancellor Balase Mashinini said the purpose of the event was to introduce the Tladi Day Clinic and to educate the public about the services the clinic offers.

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She said the initiative is aimed at addressing drug abuse within the community and providing daily support to service users at the centre.

“We are not a drug rehabilitation centre where people stay overnight. Instead, we operate as a day clinic where service users come in the morning and return home in the afternoon. We also provide free transportation, collecting them from designated pick-up points and dropping them off after the programme,” explained Mashinini.

Mashinini further stated that the challenges they aim to address in the community include reducing the number of people using substances, ultimately decreasing the demand for their services.

She added that they are also striving to eliminate drug use and shut down drug houses, particularly in child-headed households.

Project co-ordinator at SANCA Soweto, Thulani Msheqane, told Urban News that they decided to organise the event to raise awareness among young people about the negative effects of drug and alcohol abuse.

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“Through this event we are trying to tell our brothers and sisters who are using drugs that they are not alone. We want them to know that they do not have to struggle with drug addiction by themselves.

“These drugs are affecting them mentally and destroying the normal functioning of their brain. They are slowly taking away people’s ability to think clearly, so we are trying to make them fully aware of these dangers,” said Msheqane.

He further stated that it is important for the community to attend such events because they help raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and inform people about the spaces where they can find help and support.

Msheqane said he is pleased with the attendance, especially since the centre is new and he did not expect such a turnout, but believes there is still room for improvement.

Recovering drug user Lennon Mkhwanazi said he hopes that sharing his story with the public will help others struggling with substance abuse see that leaving drugs is possible.

He told Urban News that he had been using drugs for 11 years, and after realising that they were nothing but a waste of time, he decided to take charge of his life and become clean.

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“Trauma and peer pressure led me into drug use, and it negatively affected both my career and my family. I would steal things from home just to sell them so I could afford to smoke.

“I lost my tutoring job and wasted valuable time that I should have spent building my life and career. Drugs also took a serious toll on my mental health, leading me to smoke excessively,” said Mkhwanazi.

He further stated that he hopes those facing the challenge of drug use can take the opportunity to attend SANCA programmes,so that they can receive the support they need to begin their recovery journey, and rebuild their lives for themselves and their loved ones.