More South African teenagers requiring drug addiction help

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by Change | 10 May 2010

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The demand for drug addiction support in South Africa appears to be on the rise, new figures have revealed.

Increasing numbers of teenagers are seeking drug addiction intervention in South Africa, with many receiving up to 42 days of treatment.

This is according to figures from four drug addiction centres in the country, which revealed that 329 individuals aged between 13 and 18 embarked on a drug addiction programme in the past year, Times Live reports.

It was also found that a further 1,000 teenagers had sought drug addiction help as an outpatient, while waiting lists for beds at the centres are all increasing.

Speaking to the newspaper, Shamim Garda, the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence's national executive direction confirmed the increase in teenage drug addicts.

"It's a positive sign that they are coming for treatment but the negative is that they are getting involved [in drugs] so much younger," she commented.

A poll by the newspaper conducted last week revealed that every school in South Africa had experienced at least one pupil-related problem with either drugs or alcohol.

According to nationmaster.com, the use of both heroin and cocaine in the country is on the rise, while South Africa is a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right.

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