|
||||
| |||||
|
|
What is a National Drug Master Plan? The functions of the CDA Include: Local drug action committees Provincial drug forums
What is a national drug master plan? A drug master plan is defined by the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) as ‘the single document adopted by government outlining all national concerns in drug control. Why does South Africa need a national drug master plan? Sections 10 to 12(1) of Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), grants citizens the right to have their dignity respected and protected, the right to life, and the right to freedom and security. The South African Government is accordingly committed to reducing both the supply of illegal drugs and the demand for them through a wide range of actions and programmes. To do this, it needs the help of all the criminal justice agencies, other government departments, local authorities, health professionals, traditional healers, religious organisations, schools, parents, sports groups, the media and the private sector. To date, however, the South African response to the drug problem has been disjointed, fragmented and uncoordinated. This incoherent response has negatively influenced the fight against drugs in two main ways, namely:
The South African National Drug Master Plan will act as the blueprint for South Africa’s response to drug abuse. It will be the means by which existing resources may be harnessed and yet others marshaled, their services streamlined and guided, and will set out South African national policies and priorities in the campaign against substance abuse. It will also substantially assist in ensuring that a broader base of national and provincial departments take account of substance-abuse issues in their activities and budgets. The vision is to build a drug-free society together and to make a contribution to the global problem of substance abuse. PRIORITIES In order to achieve its aims, the Master Plan has identified five main areas of focus, namely
Youth Community health and welfare Research and information dissemination International involvement A sixth, overriding and overarching goal has also been identified, namely communication. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the Master Plan in these five areas are to Crime
Reduce the incidence of drug-related crime Reduce the harmful consequences of drug-related crime Reduce the level of drug misuse in prisons Reduce the level of substance abuse among road users. Youth
Ensure that schools offer effective programmes on drug education; giving pupils the facts, warning them of the risks, and helping them to develop the skills and attitudes to resist drug misuse Raise awareness among teachers, governing bodies and parents of the issues associated with drug misuse and young people Develop effective national and local public education strategies focusing particularly on young people Ensure that young people, at risk of drug misuse or who experiment with, or become dependent on drugs, have access to a range of advice, counseling, treatment, rehabilitation and after-care services. Community health and welfare
Discourage people from misusing drugs and to enable those who do so to stop Ensure that individual drug misusers have access to a range of advice, counseling, treatment, rehabilitation and after-care services Ensure that families of drug misusers have access to advice, counseling and support services Develop and implement training programmes on the detection of substance abuse, its prevention and treatment, for health and welfare workers, law-enforcement officials and law students, personnel officers and teachers, as well as any other role-players. Research and the dissemination of information
Coordinate the collection and dissemination of locally and internationally derived information of relevance to substance-abuse intervention Evaluate internationally developed intervention approaches and determine which modifications are required for success in the local context. International involvement
Identify and implement options, including science and technology options, to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement to stop the flow of drugs into the Republic and to improve the effectiveness of demand-reduction approaches Promote stronger regional co-operation. Communication The overarching objective of the Master Plan is to ensure that all educational material and other information disseminated is contextually correct, that is, in a form and language appropriate to the culture, language, level of education and socio-economic background of its intended recipients. The Central Drug Authority should have a high-profile head and its members should include representatives from the following institutions: -Department of
Justice The Central Drug Authority should also include representatives from each of the nine provinces from the provincial substance-abuse forums. THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CDA INCLUDE: i. Overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the Master Plan ii. Facilitating and encouraging the coordination of programmes iii. Facilitating the rationalisation of existing resources and monitoring their effective use iv. Encouraging government departments and the private sector to draw up plans to address drug abuse in line with the goals of the Master Plan v. Introducing performance indicators whereby the effectiveness and progress of the action plans can be monitored and evaluated on all levels vi. Facilitating the initiation and promotion of measures, including legislation, to combat the misuse of drugs vii. Reviewing and commenting on drug-related policies and programmes developed both locally and internationally viii. Establishing and maintaining information systems which will support the implementation, evaluation and ongoing development of a national drug master plan ix. Submitting an annual report to Parliament and to the nation, that will set out a comprehensive description of the national effort relating to the drug problem x. Ensuring the development of effective strategies on drug education xi. Liaison with the NCPS Ministers Committee where necessary xii. Acting as an authoritative adviser to Government on policies and programmes in the field of drug abuse and trafficking xiii. Reviewing the Master Plan on a five-yearly basis and amending it where necessary. Composition It is proposed that these committees should be made up of senior representatives of the local magistrate’s court, police, probation and correctional services, schools, local authorities, health authorities and community structures, which will ensure appropriate coverage of both rural and urban communities. Functions The drug action committees will ensure local action on the Master Plan in each community and will inform and be kept informed. Each drug action committee will be charged with the task of
Composition It is proposed that provincial drug forums involve all stakeholders concerned in the fields of education, community action, legislation and law enforcement, policy making, research and treatment. It is recommended that such forums have executive committee members who include persons responsible for the following four portfolios: a) Treatment and After-care. b) Prevention and Education. c) Community Development. d) Legislation and Research and Information dissemination. Functions The main function of provincial drug forums is to strengthen member organisations in carrying out their existing functions related to directly or indirectly addressing substance abuse, and to keep substance abuse high on the public/political agenda of the province. An important function of a provincial drug forum is to encourage networking and the effective flow of information between members of the forum. When necessary, such a forum may act as a mouthpiece for member organisations. With regard to the Master Plan, provincial drug forums will specifically work to put substance abuse on the public/political agenda, and to broadly assist the local drug action committees in the execution of their tasks. |
| |||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
| |||||
|
|
| Designed and
maintained by
Social Development © 2003. This site is best viewed using 1024 x 768 resolution with Internet Explorer 4.0, Netscape Communicator 4.5 or higher. |
|
|
