ATC130415: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the 2010/11 Annual Report of the Central Drug Authority (CDA), dated 12 March 2013

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE 2010/11 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CENTRAL DRUG AUTHORITY (CDA), DATED 12 MARCH 2013

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development having considered and deliberated on the 2010/11 Annual Report of the Central Drug Authority (hereafter referred to as CDA) on 06 November 2012, wishes to report as follows:

1. Introduction

The Committee’s mandate as prescribed by the Constitution of South Africa and the Rules of Parliament is to build an oversight process that ensures a quality process of scrutinising and overseeing Government’s action and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life for all people of South Africa.

The Committee, as part of exercising its oversight function received a briefing from the CDA on its 2010/11 Annual Report. This report presents some of the key achievements and challenges encountered by the entity in meeting its set strategic objectives. It will also highlight the observations made by the Committee.

2. Central Drug Authority

The Central Drug Authority (CDA) is a statutory body, established in terms of the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act, Act No 20 of 1992 as amended. It consists of 12 members from the civil society, while another 14 members represent the national government departments and three entities nominated by their respective Ministers. Its functions are to give effect to the National Drug Master Plan in accordance with the guidelines set out therein, advise the Minister on any matter affecting the abuse of drugs referred to it by the Minister for advice. It also may advise the Minister on any matte on which the CDA considers it necessary.

It may plan, co-ordinate and promote measures relating to the prevention and combating of the abuse of drugs and the treatment of persons who were dependent on drugs in accordance with the National Drug Master Plan. The CDA also arranges conferences/summits relating to combating substance abuse in South Africa . It oversees and monitors the activities of 16 national departments and their entities. It also ensures effective liaison with the Provincial Substance Abuse Forums and the Local Drug Action Committees.

Achievements

The CDA reported the following achievements:

• Tabling of the CDA Annual reports to Parliament: 2006/2007; 2007/2008; 2008/2009; 2009/2010 and 2010/2011;
• It created the National Clearinghouse and National Database;
• The drafting of the Cannabis Position Paper was in progress;
• It maintained 9 Provincial Forums;
• It established 238 Local Drug Action Committees and were all active;
• It attended the Commission on Narcotic Drug sessions and submitted reports;
• The 1st Biennial Anti-Substance Abuse Summit was held in 2007. The 2nd Biennial Anti-Substance Abuse Summit was held in 2011. Reports on both Summits were available and resolutions and implementation Plans were completed.
• It conducted the Departmental and Provincial Drug Master Plans training in all national departments and provinces;
• It monitored, reported and advised upon the trends in alcohol and other drugs use, misuse and dependence;
• It provided treatment and aftercare to dependents;
• The impact of the application of the Departmental and Provincial Drug Master Plans was assessed and reported to Parliament.

3. Trends in defining the drug problem

The CDA reported on the following trends :

Primary substances of abuse : alcohol remains the dominant substance of abuse throughout the country. Gauteng , Mpumalanga and Limpopo have the highest rate of alcohol consumption. Cannabis is and remains the primary illicit drug of abuse between 29% and 62% of all patients reporting it. Cocaine treatment admissions had shown a decrease in a number of areas but showed a slight increase in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape . Heroin use was stable in KwaZulu-Natal .

The higher proportion of cocaine use in KwaZulu-Natal was seen as the result of the use of “sugars” (a low quality heroin and cocaine mixture) by the youth. The use of ATS such as crystal methamphetamine or Tik treatment admissions remained high in Cape Town .

Over the counter medicines and prescriptions continued to be an issue of concern across all provinces. Inhalants/solvents (glue) use among young people continued to be a problem. There was an increase in the injection drug use and Methcathinone use was noted in Gauteng . Poly drug use remained high in KwaZulu-Natal .

Drug trafficking :

The CDA found the following with regard to drug trafficking:

• Cannabis trafficking was trafficked for shipment across African Countries;
• Largest seizures were reported from the cannabis herb;
• Cocaine was also being trafficked; and
• Methamphetamine ( Tik ) seizures had been reported from Nigeria to South Africa .

4. Global World Drug Report

The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is the main policy-making body of the United Nations Drug Control Programme. It is also the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). South Africa through the coordination of the CDA, compiles a report and reports progress to the UNODC. South Africa became a member state of the UNODC in 1995. The CDA and the Department of Social Development attended the 54th Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2011 and participated in the discussions arising from the African Resolutions taken at the Heads of National Law Enforcement Agency (HENLEA) Conference.

5. Achievements based on key integrated strategies

5.1 Supply reduction

X-ray scanners were introduced to search incoming parcels and packages into the correctional centres to ensure that drugs do not enter the country. Security search of all persons, staff, service providers, members of the public and inmates continue to be conducted. A number of 540 incidents of supply reduction occurred during 2010/2011 and 259.27 kg dagga (marijuana) was found during the searches conducted in the correctional centres. Twenty one international controlled deliveries from the United Kingdom ; Spain ; Namibia and Germany were dealt with. Priority Crime Investigation discovered the largest consignment of Cocaine (a 1.7 ton) with an estimated street value of R515 million. Five persons of South African and Chinese origin were arrested.

5.2 Demand reduction

Snap shots surveys were conducted in all nine provinces to determine the extent of substance abuse. Provincial summits were held in provinces as a precursor to the National Summit. The national summit was held in March 2011 at the ICC in Durban with the purpose of sharing information and best practice models. The International Day Against Substance Abuse was commemorated in the Free State province at Zamdela , Sasolburg to raise awareness about the effects of drug abuse. The CDA conducted a substance abuse youth dialogue among youth and women prayer groups in Jacobsdal , Free State . Twenty one education workshops were held in the North West ; Northern Cape ; Mpumalanga and Gauteng . Life orientation programmes were incorporated into the substance abuse curriculum for Grade 12. Priority Drug Courts were piloted in Khayelitsha . A school safety programme to curb alcohol and illegal substances was developed.

5.3 Harm reduction

The CDA conducted harm reduction in the follows areas:

• Support provided to employees and their families;
• Referred clients to the rehabilitation centres;
• Provided reintegrated programmes to individuals who received treatment;
• Rescheduled E-cigarettes (products containing nicotine) from Schedule1/Schedule 2 to Schedule 3 to limit access;
• Rescheduled Ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine, which were precursors for drugs of abuse, from Schedule 2 to Schedule 6;
• Administered doping control services to all national sports codes; and
• Conducted a meeting with service providers working on treatment interventions to define the concept of harm reduction.

6. Concerns raised by members

• Members were concerned about government entities, which had not submitted annual reports to the CDA. They were particular unhappy with the CDA for not submitting its annual report on time.

• Members noted that the term of office of the current CDA Board had expired and that a new Board had not been appointed. The matter regarding the appointment of the new Board had been forwarded to Parliament for recruiting and recommending candidates to serve the Board. This process was completed in August 2012.

• Members commented on the inclusion of substance abuse in the life orientation curriculum of grade 12s. They urged the Department of Social Development to work with the Department of Basic Education to educate learners about the dangers of substance abuse in earlier grades.

• Members noted with concern the increase of drug trafficking across the South African borders. They were in favour of a presentation by both SAPS and SARS in addressing the drug traffic problems of the country.

• Members were keen to know when the new National Drug Master Plan would be submitted to Parliament.