Update: Substance Abuse Awareness Campaign

The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is encouraged at the rising levels of engagement with our awareness campaign on social media and the mobi site.

In total our substance abuse posts on Facebook have had 23 296 “engagements” in just over a month. This included;

·         Likes: 8 400;

·         Comments: 370;

·         Shared post: 1 026.

The department has placed greater emphasis on not only expanding services for substance abuse treatment, but also access to information on how to access them. The recently launched substance abuse site provides key info on how to identify substance abuse, and where to access help.

The department has allocated R58-million this financial year to over 36 NGO partners working at 51 sites across the province, to render substance abuse treatment services.

The department will continue rendering and expanding quality community-based drug treatment services for the poor.

For example, DSD has expanded funding for the Opiate Substitution Treatment programme at Sultan Bahu to R2.1-million this financial year. This will increase the number of beneficiaries from 45 to 94, aside from the other programmes run at this facility.

The department is also focussing on expanding the number of substance abuse treatment workers. In partnership with the University of the Western Cape, 57 community representatives graduated this year from an intensive substance abuse treatment programme.

Members of the public looking for information or help can visit our substance abuse site (https://www.westerncape.gov.za/substance-abuse/), or contact the DSD hotline on 0800 220 250. We can help residents struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, if we continue to work “Better Together”.