Substance abuse prevention in Cape Town's peri-urban settlements: local health trainers' perspectives

Abstract

South Africa currently experiences high levels of alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse. As a result there is a need for the initiation of regional AOD abuse prevention programmes with a specific focus on youth prevention strategies. The Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) is a non-profit organisation which develops and facilitates health information workshops to members of disadvantaged peri-urban communities in South Africa. This research investigated the views of eight local MKI health trainers on factors contributing to AOD abuse in their communities. Although the expected focus of the discussion was on prevention strategies and effective interventions, the trainers placed more emphasis on the individual and community factors influencing AOD abuse. The themes which emerged through the research included: status, government, (di)stress, gender, recreation, consequences and community. This research holds significance as it has the potential to assist further development of community-based AOD prevention workshops and to guide public health policy and service development for AOD abuse.

Substance use and self-harm: a cross-sectional study of the prevalence, correlates and patterns of medical service utilisation among patients admitted to a South African hospital

“…It may be beneficial to routinely screen for problem substance use among self-harm patients and to offer referrals to appropriate substance use treatment centers or, where appropriate, to deliver brief targeted interventions as part of the management of self-harm at the hospital. This is particularly important in SA where there are high rates of substance use and problematic patterns of alcohol use [18, 22]. The lack of accessible, affordable and effective treatments for substance use problems in SA [35] is a significant barrier to suicide prevention.…”

“…Alcohol is the most common substance used in SA [18]. Widespread unrecorded alcohol production (e.g., home-brewing of beer) and illegal selling of alcohol, make it difficult to accurately estimate alcohol consumption in SA [19].…”

Building cooperative learning to address alcohol and other drug abuse in Mpumalanga, South Africa: a participatory action research process

“…Today, South Africa has the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the southern African region [7,8]. About a third of adults report harmful use [6,[8][9][10]. Alcohol abuse in adolescents is associated with risky sexual behaviours, academic failure, absenteeism, and increased risk of drug use [8].…”

Out of school youth

“…In urban areas of KwaZulu Natal and Mpumalanga, our findings demonstrate that females who left school for the same reason (not having enough money for school fees) as their rural counterparts were less likely to consume higher amounts of alcohol. Previous studies found that traditionally among African communities, alcohol use was limited to males and to special occasions (128). Alcohol use may be less prominent among females in these regions due to the prevailing traditional cultural norms towards alcohol use among females.…”

“…Among those who left school due to the school fees being unaffordable, females residing in the urban areas of KwaZulu Natal and Mpumalanga were less likely to consume high quantities of alcohol, whilst those residing in the rural areas of Gauteng were more likely to consume high quantities of alcohol (Chapter 3). In traditional African communities, alcohol use is usually limited to males and to special occasions (128). The lower alcohol consumption by females in KwaZulu Natal and Mpumalanga may be due to them conforming to prevailing traditional and cultural norms.…”