Springs – drug capital of South-Africa?
Springs has become a drug Mecca for the East Rand and for South Africa and excessive drug abuse and prostitution are becoming major problems in our town.
This is the opinion of many of the Addie’s readers who frequently comment on these issues.
Hannes Bosman founder and CEO of the non-profit organisation Drug Outreach, deals with thousands of drug addiction cases across South Africa.
In Springs alone, Bosman is counselling 311 people who are addicted to drug substances.
Bosman’s youngest case is a nine-year-old boy and oldest case, a 60-year-old man.
The biggest problems are rocks, cocaine, heroin and nyaope.
According to Bosman, drugs are freely available in broad daylight in Second Avenue and Second, Third and Fourth Streets as well as in all the suburbs in Springs.
In some cases drugs are allegedly delivered to the doorsteps of drug addicts.
“A major problem is the fact that parents sometimes don’t recognise the problem in their own children’s behaviour before it’s too late,” says Bosman.
According to Bosman, there is a major need for the community to get involved.
“If the community doesn’t get involved, drug abuse will cripple this town even more.”
Bosman adds that the public doesn’t realise that by turning their heads and believing that it’s not their problem, they are actually giving the drug dealers and users free reign to cripple the economy.
He says it should be common knowledge that drugs and the usage of them are dictating more than what we want to admit on how our society is suffering socially and financially.
“This is not just a fight for the authorities and drug rehab institutions, but also the responsibility of the general public to get involved in.”
Bosman’s Services are available 24 hours and he can be contacted on 079 440 3469.
