Cape Town: Social Development Deputy Minister Ganief Henricks addressed the portfolio committee on Social Development, emphasizing the global challenge of substance and drug abuse, with a particular focus on South Africa’s struggles. The Deputy Minister highlighted the impact of drug abuse on South African society while presenting the 2023/2024 Central Drug Authority Annual Report.
According to South African Government News Agency, Deputy Minister Henricks revealed that South Africans spent R7.7 billion on alcohol during the holiday week from December 25, 2024, to January 1, 2025. He cited the South African Society of Psychiatrists, noting that one out of every five adults in the country abuses mind-altering substances such as alcohol, codeine, and dagga. This statistic underscores the rising concern that South Africa is losing the war on drugs.
The Deputy Minister further noted that a 2014 study in the South African Medical Journal estimated that alcohol abuse costs the country up to 10% of its gross domestic product, amounting to as much as R37.9 billion annually. These costs arise from absenteeism, lost productivity, health and welfare expenses, and alcohol-related crime, with significant implications for social issues like gender-based violence and femicide.
The 2023/2024 annual report from the Central Drug Authority outlined the progress made by national departments, public entities, provinces, and local drug action committees in combating the drug problem. Henricks emphasized that alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive substance in South Africa and that the country is significantly affected by substance use disorders.
Deputy Minister Henricks announced that the Cabinet had approved the Prevention and Treatment for Substance Use Disorder Policy, which aims to address substance abuse more effectively by updating legislation and tackling emerging trends. Additionally, the department is working to establish an interministerial committee to combat substance abuse.
The Central Drug Authority’s presentation focused on implementing the National Drug Master Plan 2019-2024 with key stakeholders to reduce the supply, demand, and harm caused by substance abuse and drug trafficking. Henricks stressed that these issues are particularly detrimental to the poor, vulnerable, and other key populations in South African communities.