Beyond the rhetoric : towards a more effective and humane drug policy framework in South Africa
Date
2011-10
Authors
Parry, Charles
Myers, Bronwyn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health and Medical Publishing Group (HMPG)
Abstract
The March 2011 Anti-Substance Abuse Summit in Durban
continued the outdated approach to policy around illicit drugs
in South Africa. It missed opportunities for discussing how to
impact significantly on the health and social harms associated with
problematic drug use and reduce the burden of drug-related cases
in the criminal justice system. The government needs to move
away from the political rhetoric of a ‘drug-free society’ and start
the real work of formulating and implementing an evidence-based
drug policy that learns from the experiences of other countries
around decriminalising drug use; takes into account differences
in the harms resulting from different classes of drugs; adopts a
rights-based, public health approach to policy; and identifies a
single (accountable) agency that has the authority to oversee policy
implementation. In addition, consensus is needed on the short-,
medium- and long-term priorities for drug policy implementation.
The 17 evidence-based drug policy strategies identified by Babor
et al. may serve as a useful starting point for policy development.
Description
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
Keywords
Drug control -- Government policy -- South Africa, Drug abuse -- Prevention -- Government policy -- South Africa
Citation
Parry, C & Myers, B. 2011. Beyond the rhetoric: towards a more effective and humane drug policy framework in South Africa. South African Medical Journal, 101(10):704-706.