Hi there again, I'm back in this space. Last night I watched a programme on tv, 3rd Degree and it was about the drug Nyaope and how its destroying the lives of young South Africans. For those who don't know what Nyaope is well it is a mixture of dagga and cheap heroin.
The mix has different names, including kataza, pinch and ungu. The drug originated in 2006 in the Pretoria townships of Soshanguve, Atteridgeville and Mamelodi.Nyaope is sometimes mixed with rat poison to enhance its effects. This easily affordable drug is spreading throughout South Africa.The high from the drug lasts for between two to four hours.Small doses of Nyaope causes euphoria and a sense of warmth and wellbeing while larger doses cause drowsiness, feelings of being content, safe and relaxed.Nyaope addicts tend to lead chaotic and criminal lives, revolving around getting their next fix. They explore various ways of obtaining money to buy the drug. The option for most is theft but women often turn to prostitution(very sad). As the drug takes hold and they stop thinking rationally, values and beliefs are forgotten. Nyaope is so addictive that those in its grips have resorted to selling parts from their cars to pay for their next fix(or stealing them from other people's cars,like one of the young men in the programme I watched..he stole from taxi drivers and they gave him one hell of a beating but that did not stop him).Personal hygiene becomes lax and addicts often do not eat proper meals.The drug soon takes its toll on the body, with physical symptoms including severe withdrawals when Nyaope cannot be sourced, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, damage to the liver and the kidneys, lung complications and overdose which can lead to death.
Due to the severe withdrawal symptoms experienced, it is difficult to stop using Nyaope without professional help, which offers the medication necessary to control the worst of these symptoms. According to the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, about 10 teenagers a month seek rehabilitation. This shows that more and more people are becoming aware of the effects of Nyaope and are willing to go into a treatment programme. The unfortunate part is that the treatment of heroin addiction is not cheap because of the high cost of the medication needed to control withdrawal symptoms. Although some rehabilitation centres in Gauteng offer subsidised beds for those in need of urgent treatment and without the means to pay for it, need often outstrips availability. It is vital that as a community we create an awareness of the dangers of drugs and support initiatives taken by the government and non-governmental organisations to curb drug use , only through the combined efforts of society can spiralling drug abuse rates be curtailed. Report suspected drug dealers, support awareness efforts, talk to your teenagers,your friends and even siblings about the dangers of drugs and suggest treatment options to those who may have become addicted.
This means so much to me because I lost a very special person in my life because of substance abuse, I am starting a drug awareness campaign in my community to help those who may have become addicted and to warn those who are even thinking about experimenting about the dangers of drugs.
For more info or if you want to get involved please send me an email on Vjaphta@gmail.com
#Thought of the week# Drugs kill, love yourself enough to not destroy yourself with drugs!!
