Never before has a single drug had such an impact on society.

That”s the stark warning from the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca), which has cautioned that tik use among Western Cape youngsters has reached “unprecedented” proportions.

Sunday is International Drug Awareness Day, and Sanca regional director David Fourie used the platform to present statistics to prove the unprecedented rise in popularity of this dangerous drug.

During 2003 they counselled not a single tik user. But by the end of last year, 156 young tik addicts had sought treatment.

Perhaps more shockingly, a third of these were aged between 13 and 15, with another nearly 16% between the ages of 16 and 18.

The Department of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation has stepped in to help Sanca boost treatment capacity to cope with the demand, funding three extra social worker posts.

Referring to Ecstasy as the popular drug for youngsters about three or four years ago, Fourie said the effects this drug had on the body could not even be compared with the far more serious implications for users of tik.

“We”re concerned that very little comes close to the dangers of tik, and we”re extremely concerned at the effects it is having on users, their families and communities,” he said.

Tik is a stimulant and Fourie warned that it has the capacity to quickly break down users” immune systems, opening them up to increased risk of contracting other diseases.

The long-term use of tik caused dramatic weight loss and major health and psychiatric problems, he said, but also fed further into the “rampant criminal scene on the Cape Flats, with kids being induced to deal in these drugs”.

Fourie was especially concerned at how enticing the drug was for teenagers. “It”s a social stimulant so it gives the user lots of pleasure, a feeling of euphoria, of energy.”

“It awakens all the senses so there is very little to persuade them that it”s not a good idea to use it again once they have tried tik for the first time. Before they know it, they”re hooked,” he said.

The upside of treatment for drug addicts hooked on tik, Fourie explained, was that 80% to 85% could be successfully treated on an outpatient basis, with only a very small percentage needing to be admitted to inpatient treatment facilities.

“But it is important then for parents and communities to give these children the support they need as they recover,” he said. – Health Writer.

Source: AllAfrica.Com
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200506240750.htm…br>