Alcohol and drug abuse costs the South African economy billions annually, with up to 20% of adults abusing substances like alcohol, codeine, and dagga. The annual cost of alcohol abuse alone is estimated at 10% of GDP, or R37.9 billion, according to a 2016 study.

The “War on Drugs” was officially started by President Richard Nixon in 1971 when he declared drug abuse “public enemy number one” in the United States. This policy has led to ongoing consequences, including over 1.5 million drug-related arrests annually, with around 550,000 of those being for cannabis offenses. The policy has been widely criticized for its negative social and racial impacts.

In 1971, South Africa’s apartheid government passed the Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act, touted as the toughest anti-drug law in the Western world. The law primarily targeted white “hippy” youth, following the recommendations of the Grobler Commission, which focused only on white drug misuse despite limited evidence of a widespread issue. The National Party framed drug use as a threat to Afrikaner culture, equating it to terrorism. The law, modeled after anti-terrorism legislation, imposed harsh sentences and detention without trial, applying to both white and black South Africans, despite excluding black substance use in its research. Only Progressive Party MP Helen Suzman opposed the law, criticizing its broad application and the inclusion of cannabis as a prohibited drug.

While South Africa has progressive legislation and a national Drug Master Plan aligned with WHO strategies, implementation is hindered by insufficient funding and outdated approaches that focus on social rehabilitation rather than treating addiction as a medical condition. Dr. Eugene Allers of SASOP advocates for a medical, multi-disciplinary approach, integrating medical, psychiatric, and social interventions.

According to the United Nations drug trafficking and abuse are increasing across African countries, including South Africa. South Africa’s drug policy aims to create a drug-free society, reflected in its focus on drug-related offences. However, the policy faces controversies, especially regarding its effectiveness and social impact. This text explores the sociological issues within South Africa’s anti-drug laws, examines alternative global drug policies, and discusses how the country might combine harm-reduction strategies with a controlled decriminalization and legalization approach to improve its fight against drugs.

Substance abuse and mental illness are closely related, and both need to be treated together for effective outcomes. Despite improvements in treatment access, funding and especially for medically-assisted treatment still remains inadequate.

Outdated data further complicates efforts, with most cited statistics based on research from 2002-2004, highlighting the need for updated studies to guide strategies.

Countries have implemented various strategies to combat drug use and trafficking:

• Botswana: Established a Drug Enforcement Agency under the Ministry of Defense and Security to address drug trafficking.
• Zambia: Created the Drug Enforcement Commission to prevent and control illegal drug cultivation, production, trafficking, and abuse.
• Zimbabwe: Launched the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan (2020-2025) to tackle rising substance use with a comprehensive approach.
• South Africa: Established the Central Drug Authority (CDA) to oversee the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan and work toward eliminating substance abuse.

Many nations are vulnerable to drug trafficking due to factors like geographical location, porous borders, and trade links with Asia, Latin America, and North America. While SADC Member States have sufficient legislation and policy frameworks, active involvement from all stakeholders, including traditional leadership, is crucial for effective enforcement.

Drug abuse is a societal issue, not just a government problem and requires collective recognition of its seriousness. Substance abuse leads to dependence and harms socio-economic development. Easy access to drugs and alcohol is a growing challenge, contributing to rising crime, gender-based violence, and femicide.

Understanding Drug Addiction in South Africa

Drug addiction is a chronic disease that compels users to consume substances compulsively, leading to physical, psychological, and social harm. In South Africa, addiction includes both legal substances like cough syrup and sleeping tablets, and illegal drugs like heroin and crystal meth.

Addiction begins with voluntary use but leads to brain function changes that make stopping difficult due to withdrawal symptoms. Users develop tolerance, requiring higher doses, which increases the risk of overdose. Drug addiction also causes erratic behavior, affecting both the user and those around them, and many addicts resist help, making recovery harder.

Common addictive substances in South Africa include illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, crystal meth), prescription drugs (Benzodiazepines, Ritalin), and legal substances (cough syrup, bath salts).

Physical symptoms of addiction include bloodshot eyes, weight changes, nausea, headaches, and hygiene issues. Behavioral signs include aggression, depression, changes in social circles, and involvement in criminal activity.

South Africa underwent significant political changes with the end of apartheid and the creation of a progressive constitution, but it lags in drug policy. Drug use remains criminalized and wrongly blamed for social issues, with drug dependence inaccurately identified as a root cause of crime. This misunderstanding has led to stigmatization, exclusion, and apartheid-style policing in marginalized communities.

The war on drugs in South Africa focuses on eradication, resulting in mass incarceration and strain on the justice system, while evidence-based treatments and harm reduction services are lacking. Global trends are shifting toward health- and human rights-based drug policies, but South Africa has yet to engage in meaningful debate.

RUN2016 SA Drug Policy Week brought together diverse organizations and highlighted the need for a new approach. There is growing recognition that drug users deserve equal rights, and conversations between policymakers and drug user networks may signal the start of a shift toward equality and social justice in South Africa’s drug policy.

The Future Outlook on Drug Addiction in SA

Despite global efforts, illicit drug use and trafficking have not significantly declined over the past century. The trade has grown larger, more diverse, and more profitable, while governmental responses which are still often referred to as the “war on drugs” remain rigid inspite of their continued failures. These strategies, focused on eradication, have failed to address the complex factors driving drug use, such as poverty, social alienation, and economic exclusion. In South Africa, drug use and trafficking have increased due to weak border control, systemic corruption, and economic challenges, positioning the country as both a conduit and destination for illegal substances. Despite rising arrest rates, conviction rates remain low, and drugs have become more affordable, highlighting the ineffectiveness of current approaches.

The punitive regulation of drug use in South Africa, based on outdated laws like the 1992 Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, has contributed to the perpetuation of the illegal drug economy. Arrests are high, but convictions are minimal, and these measures fail to address the root causes of drug use. Harm reduction strategies, such as decriminalization or reorienting police efforts toward tackling supply rather than punishing users, offer a more effective path. South Africa could benefit from shifting the public discourse around drugs, focusing on social and economic reforms that address the drivers of drug addiction, rather than relying on punitive measures that have proven counterproductive.

South Africa’s Central Drug Authority (CDA) acknowledges that the traditional “war on drugs” approach has failed, and advocates for harm reduction, demand reduction, and supply reduction strategies, as outlined in the National Drug Master Plan (NDMP) 2019–2024. The CDA engaged people with substance use disorders in developing the NDMP, emphasizing evidence-based treatment and reducing the socio-economic impact of drug abuse. The CDA also promotes substitution therapy and seeks legislative changes, including amending the outdated Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act. Despite past delays, the CDA urges swift parliamentary action to finalize reforms, citing the successful decriminalization model used by Portugal as a potential solution.