2011-04-05: Opening of the Drug Rehabilitation Centre
The Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo will officially open a Drug Rehabilitation Centre on Tuesday 05 April 2011 in Randburg Golden Harvest Resort House no 4, Hunters Road near Northgate shopping centre.
The centre will enable many young people from disadvantaged communities who cannot afford private care to access assistance to deal with their addiction. It is aimed at contributing towards building social cohesion and providing a safety net for those most vulnerable and at risk. It will have a positive impact on communities that have been devastated by the impact of drug abuse given the lack of rehabilitation to assist the majority of the young people who are already addicted to drugs.
The centre will offer a six weeks programme to all the patients. A maximum of ten patients will be accepted at any given time. In the six weeks participant’s families will be able to visit them on weekends from 1pm to 5pm. As part of the programme they will be expected to undergo a medical check up at a medical centre. The medical check up will involve physical training sessions, therapy and counseling and detoxification process.
On completion all graduates will attend an aftercare programme which will include group counseling sessions. The graduates will also attend two hour group session once a week for a period of twelve weeks. At the end of this process the individual will be equipped to cope without the use of drugs. This approach enables the graduates to be part of a supportive network
aimed at fostering and reinforcing a healthy lifestyle free of drug abuse.
This project was initiated by City of Joburg’s Community Development department who particularly work with addicted young people living and working on the streets.
The present situation is that in the whole of Gauteng there are only two state run facilities located in Magaliesburg and Boksburg. However within Johannesburg there are a number of privately run drug rehabilitation institutions which are out of reach for many young people whose families do not have the financial means to pay for them.
The one option available to many of these communities is the out patient treatment services delivered via the South African National Council on Alchoholism and drug dependency. (SANCA)
The spread of drugs in communities throughout Joburg is well documented with schools being the main targets and children as young as seven said to be experimenting with drugs already. Some of the commonly used drugs by the youth in Joburg include cocaine, codeine, crack, dagga ecstacy, heroin, mandrax and nyaope. In essence the problem of drugs abuse by young people is not only in Joburg but throughout the country.
Participation in the rehabilitation programme would be voluntarily or as a result of a court order or instruction.
The City’s objective is to ensure that young people at risk of drug misuse or who are experimenting with drugs have access to a range of advice, counseling, treatment rehabilitation and after care service. To also raise awareness among communities and the youth in particular about the negative effects of abusing drugs.
Ends
Issued by Gugu Mathibela on behalf of Community Development Department
Tel No: 011 407 6495
Cell No: 082 372 8164
Email: guguma@joburg.org.za
For more information please contact:
Mr Allan Grobbler
Tel No: 011 407 7041
Cell No: 082 467 9578
Emal: AlanGr@joburg.org.za
