Drugs Fact File

 

Different people respond differently to the same drugs.


Drugs cause different reactions in different people. Never take a drug on the basis of someone else’s reported experience of using that drug. Never persuade someone else to take a drug based on your own experience of using it.

The more drugs you take, the more you need.

The first time you take a drug, you will probably experience an exhilarating high. As your body gets used to the drug, you will need more and more of it to experience the same intense reaction. This increasing tolerance to a drug is actually a growing addiction. Addiction comes with a big price tag. The more drugs you want, the more money you need to “feed the habit”. Drugs are expensive and their effect on you makes it unlikely that you will be able to earn enough money to afford them. Some drug addicts turn to crime and other high-risk behaviour. Many are arrested and go to prison. Others turn to prostitution and live tragic and tainted lives, and almost inevitably die young.

Some people take drugs for a while and then manage to escape before they become addicts or before irreparable harm is done. Do not rely on being one of those people; being strong is not enough to withstand the horrors of drug addiction.

It is not weak people who become drug addicts, it is drug addicts who become weak people

No addict takes that first drug believing that he or she will be addicted. All addicts start out believing that they could give up drugs any time they wanted to. Every addict is sad proof of how wrong that belief is.

Life is tough enough; drugs only make it tougher


When you feel that you cannot cope with life’s challenges, you may feel tempted to take a drug to make you feel vibrant and confident, or to change your sense of reality, even if only for a short while. Instant gratification, a sense of peace, a wonderful trip, or a feeling of power, all these things you are promised by those who offer you drugs. Such persons often describe the effects of drugs in glowing terms. But, they do not tell you:

  • that you cannot control your response to a drug;
  • what a drug contains;
  • the more you like a drug, the more you will want it and that you will eventually become addicted;
  • when the drug wears off, reality will still be there with all the problems from which you were trying to escape;
  • uppers make you need downers and a combination of the two can kill you; and
  • drugs let you lose control, which in turn makes you:
  • lose the ability to do certain things (for instance, drive your car); and
  • more vulnerable to sexual or physical assault.

However tempting it may be, using drugs to take a break from reality will not make your problems disappear or make life better. If you feel that things are spiralling out of control and you are overwhelmed by problems, seek real help from someone who cares. People who try to sell you drugs are not interested in your well-being.You may have already used drugs and you may be scared of becoming addicted. But remember: No matter how much trouble you think you will be in if you ask for help, you will be in worse trouble if you do not.

What should I do if my child abuses drugs?

  • Do not get hysterical. Concentrate on the facts and determine the seriousness of the situation in order to make arrangements for treatment which can include a rehabilitation programme and/or counselling.
  • Do not threaten the child in order to find out where he/she got it from. The SAPS will interview the child to determine if he/she has information that can be used to identify how the illegal substance was obtained. Keep in mind that for a child (under 18) alcohol also represents an illegal substance.
  • Do not promise rewards. The child must realise that his/her behaviour has negative consequences.
  • Do not downplay the child’s responsibility. If he/she did not decide to abuse drugs in the first place, this would not have happened. Accepting accountability is an important step in the process towards correcting his/her behaviour.
  • Do not believe promises that it will not happen again. An immediate zero tolerance attitude could save your child’s life.
  • Do not blame other people/bad influences. Blaming wastes time.
  • Seek professional help immediately.
  • Join a support group for parents.
  • Make it clear to the child that the money for rehabilitation/counselling will come out of his/her pocket money. Teenagers seem to understand much better when their unacceptable behaviour has financial implications for them.
  • Stress your love and support, but make it clear that your child’s actions are unacceptable and that you are going to report the child to the authorities and the school.
  • Scare tactics do not work to change behaviour; education and information, maintaining a healthy relationship and open communication with your child(ren) and holding them accountable for their actions will present them with opportunities to seek help rather than sink deeper into trouble.

SANCA is an organisation that has caring professionals who deal with drug abuse on a daily basis. If you need help, or if you know of someone else who does, you can phone the following helpline:

LOCAL SANCA 24 HOUR HELPLINE NUMBER: 021 572 7461
website: www.sancanational.org.za

Information supplied by South African Police Service