Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 3
What do you know about harmful drug use?
A Quick Quiz
Harmful drug and alcohol use occurs over time and people seldom admit there is a problem, before it is too late. At first, few wish to acknowledge they have lost con-trol and have a problem. Parents or loved ones may suspect that there may be a problem looming but are unsure and scared to confront the user and/or don’t know what to do.
To assist, here are a few simple, but not necessarily scientific or conclusive, quiz questions that one could ask to get some indication if the concern is valid and that further, more drastic action is needed to address a looming problem of harmful drug and/or alcohol use.
1. People who abuse drugs are weak-willed individuals who could control their craving for drugs if they tried.
True or False
2. Drug use has declined among teens. True or False
3. Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug in South Africa. True or False
4. Although “club drugs” got their start at all-night dance parties among teens, these illicit drugs have moved into mainstream culture.
True or False
5. Although drug use in general has declined over the last few years, the number of people abusing controlled prescription drugs has grown.
6. Anabolic steroids are the same as corticosteroids, and both types of drugs have the same dangerous side effects.
True or False
7. Even one session of repeated “sniffing” of an inhalant can cause heart fail-ure and death.
True or False
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents4
8. Different drugs produce different symptoms, so it’s not always easy to tell when someone is abusing a substance. One possible sign of drug abuse in teens, however, is when grades slip and school attendance becomes irreg-ular.
True or False
9. If you suspect that a loved one is abusing drugs, wait to discuss the issue with the person until he or she is not high.
True or False
10. Most people who are treated for drug abuse only need to stay in treatment for at least three months.
True or False
The ANSWERS are
1. People who abuse drugs are weak-willed individuals who could control their craving for drugs if they tried. False
2. Drug use has declined among teens. False 3. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in South Africa. True 4. Although “club drugs” got their start at all-night dance parties among teens, these drugs have
moved into mainstream culture. True 5. Although drug use in general has declined over the last few years, the number of people abus-
ing controlled prescription drugs has grown. True 6. Anabolic steroids are the same as corticosteroids, and both types of drugs have
the same dangerous side effects. True 7. Even one session of repeated “sniffing” of an inhalant can cause heart failure
and death. True 8. Different drugs produce different symptoms, so it’s not always easy to tell when
someone is abusing a substance. One possible sign of drug abuse in teens, however, is when grades slip and school attendance becomes irregular. True
9. If you suspect that a loved one is abusing drugs, wait to discuss the issue with the person until he or she is not high. True
10. Most people who are treated for drug abuse only need to stay in treatment for at least three months. False.
How did you fare? Do you know enough to detect if there may be a problem or do you need to delve a bit deeper? We hope this gives you a better un-derstanding of the challenges of substance abuse in every community and that this booklet will be of assistance in some way.
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 5
Pare
nts
’ Q
uic
k G
uid
e t
o S
tre
et
Dru
gs
A li
st o
f the
mos
t com
mon
dru
gs a
nd su
bsta
nces
pot
entia
lly e
xper
imen
ted
with
and
mis
used
by
youn
g pe
ople
.
Alc
oh
ol
Co
cain
e/C
rack
Co
ug
h m
ed
icin
eE
cst
asy
/MD
MA
He
roin
Str
eet nam
esBo
oze,
dop
Blow
, Cok
e, N
ose
Can-
dy, R
ock
Syru
pX,
XTC
, ED
ope,
Sku
nk, U
ngah
Lo
oks
like
Liqu
id (t
ypes
incl
ude
win
e, b
eer,
spiri
t coo
l-er
s, c
ider
s et
c.)
Whi
te C
ryst
al P
owde
r, Ch
ips,
Chu
nks
or R
ocks
Liqu
id, p
ills
Bran
ded
tabl
ets
(Nik
e sw
oosh
, Pla
yboy
bun
-ni
es)
Whi
te o
r dar
k br
own
pow
der o
r tar
-like
sub-
stan
ce
How
it’s
use
d/a
buse
dA
lcoh
ol is
dru
nk e
xces
-si
vely
. Bin
ge d
rinki
ng.
Coca
ine
can
be sn
orte
d or
inje
cted
. Cra
ck c
an
be sm
oked
.
Swal
low
edSw
allo
wed
Inje
cted
, sm
oked
or
snor
ted
Wh
at
tee
ns
have
he
ard
Mak
es a
bor
ing
nigh
t fu
n. M
akes
them
‘loo
k’
or fe
el m
atur
e, h
ip, e
tc.
Keep
s yo
u am
ped
up;
you
will
be
the
life
of th
e pa
rty.
Caus
es a
hig
h w
ith v
ari-
ous
phas
esEn
hanc
es th
e se
nses
Euph
oria
, but
ver
y
risky
Dan
ge
rou
s b
ecau
seIm
pairs
reas
onin
g,
clou
ds ju
dgem
ent.
Long
–ter
m h
eavy
drin
k-in
g ca
n le
ad to
alc
ohol
-ism
and
liver
and
hea
rt
dise
ase.
Can
caus
e he
art
atta
cks,
str
okes
and
sei
zure
s.
In ra
re c
ases
, sud
den
deat
h on
firs
t use
.
Can
caus
e ab
dom
inal
pa
in, e
xtre
me
naus
ea,
liver
dam
age
Can
caus
e se
vere
de
hydr
atio
n, li
ver a
nd
hear
t fai
lure
and
eve
n de
ath.
Chro
nic
hero
in u
sers
ris
k de
ath
by o
ver-
dose
.
Sig
ns
of
ab
use
Slur
red
spee
ch, l
ack
of
coor
dina
tion,
nau
sea,
vo
miti
ng, a
nd h
ang-
ov
ers.
Ner
vous
beh
avio
ur, r
est-
less
ness
, blo
ody
nose
s,
high
ene
rgy
Slur
red
spee
ch, l
oss
of
co-o
rdin
atio
n, d
isor
ien-
tatio
n, v
omiti
ng
Teet
h cl
ench
ing,
chi
lls,
swea
ting,
deh
ydra
tion,
an
xiet
y, u
nusu
al d
is-
play
s of
affe
ctio
n
Trac
k m
arks
on
arm
s,
slow
ed a
nd sl
urre
d sp
eech
, vom
iting
Imp
ort
an
t
to k
no
wBe
ing
a ch
ild o
f an
alco
hol-
ic p
lace
s a
child
at g
reat
er
risk
for d
evel
opin
g al
coho
l pr
oble
ms.
Uns
uper
vise
d ch
ildre
n at
par
ties
are
at
grea
ter r
isk
of c
onsu
min
g al
coho
l.
Coca
ine
is a
hig
hly
ad-
dict
ive
drug
.Th
e “h
igh”
from
cou
gh
med
icin
e is
cau
sed
by in
gest
ing
a la
rge
amou
nt o
f dex
tro-
met
horp
han
(DXM
), a
com
mon
act
ive
ingr
e-di
ent f
ound
in m
any
coug
h m
edic
atio
ns.
Can
be a
ddic
tive.
Has
be
com
e a
popu
lar
club
dru
g be
caus
e of
its
stim
ulan
t pro
per-
ties
whi
ch a
llow
use
rs
to d
ance
for e
xten
ded
perio
ds o
f tim
e.
Her
oin
over
dose
is a
pa
rtic
ular
risk
on
the
stre
et, w
here
the
puri-
ty o
f the
dru
g ca
nnot
be
kno
wn.
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents6
Inh
ala
nts
Mari
juan
aM
eth
am
ph
eta
min
eP
erf
orm
an
ce
-
en
han
cin
g d
rug
sP
resc
rip
tio
n p
ain
re
lieve
rs
Str
eet nam
esSn
appe
rs, P
oppe
rs,
Huffi
ng, G
lue,
Thi
n-ne
rs, S
olve
nts
Dagg
a, Bo
om, D
ope,
Gras
s, Ha
sh, H
erb,
Mar
y Jan
e, Po
t, Re
efer,
Skun
k, W
eed
Ice,
Spe
ed, T
ik, M
eth
Juic
e, R
hoid
sCo
dein
e an
d ho
st o
f ot
hers
Lo
oks
like
Pain
t thi
nner
s, g
lues
, pe
trol
, etc
.A
gre
en o
r gre
y m
ixtu
re
of d
ried,
shre
dded
flow
-er
s an
d le
aves
of t
he
hem
p pl
ant
Whi
te o
r slig
htly
yel
low
cr
ysta
l-lik
e po
wde
r, la
rge
rock
-like
chu
nks
Tabl
et, l
iqui
d or
ski
n ap
plic
atio
nTa
blet
s an
d ca
psul
es
How
it’s
use
d/a
buse
dIn
hale
d th
roug
h no
se
or m
outh
Smok
ed, b
rew
ed in
to te
a or
mix
ed in
to fo
ods
Swal
low
ed, i
njec
ted,
sn
orte
d or
smok
edSw
allo
wed
or i
njec
ted
or
app
lied
to s
kin
Swal
low
ed
Wh
at
tee
ns
have
he
ard
A c
heap
, 20-
min
ute
high
Oft
en e
asie
r to
get t
han
alco
hol
Can
keep
you
goi
ng fo
r da
ysW
ill g
uara
ntee
a sp
ot
on th
e st
artin
g lin
e-up
A hi
gh, s
traig
ht fr
om th
e m
edici
ne ca
bine
t
Dan
ge
rou
s b
ecau
seCh
roni
c ex
posu
re
can
prod
uce
sign
ifi-
cant
dam
age
to th
e he
art,
lung
s, li
ver a
nd
kidn
eys.
Can
indu
ce
deat
h
Can
caus
e m
emor
y an
d le
arni
ng p
robl
ems,
ha
lluci
natio
ns, d
elus
ions
an
d de
pers
onal
isat
ion
Chro
nic l
ong-
term
use
or
high
dos
ages
, can
caus
e ps
ycho
tic b
ehav
iour
(in
clud
ing
para
noia
, de
lusio
ns, h
allu
cina
tions
, vi
olen
t beh
avio
ur, in
som
-ni
a an
d st
roke
s)
Boys
can
dev
elop
br
east
s; gi
rls c
an d
e-ve
lop
faci
al h
air a
nd a
de
epen
ed v
oice
. Can
ca
use
hear
t att
acks
an
d st
roke
s
A la
rge
sing
le d
ose
can
caus
e se
vere
re-
spira
tory
dep
ress
ion
that
can
lead
to d
eath
Sig
ns
of
ab
use
Slur
red
spee
ch, l
ack
of
co-o
rdin
atio
n, n
ause
a,
vom
iting
, and
han
g-ov
ers
Bloo
dsho
t eye
s, sl
urre
d or
slow
spee
chN
ervo
us, p
hysi
cal a
c-tiv
ity, s
cabs
and
ope
n so
res,
dec
reas
ed a
ppe-
tite,
inab
ility
to sl
eep
Med
icin
e bo
ttle
s pr
es-
ent w
ithou
t illn
ess.
D
isru
pted
eat
ing
and
slee
ping
pat
tern
s
Imp
ort
an
t
to k
no
wSl
urre
d sp
eech
, lac
k of
co
-ord
inat
ion,
nau
sea,
vo
miti
ng, a
nd h
ang-
over
s
Cont
rary
to p
opul
ar
belie
f, m
ariju
ana
can
be
addi
ctiv
e
Met
h ha
s a h
igh
pote
ntia
l fo
r abu
se an
d ad
dict
ion,
pu
tting
child
ren
at ri
sk,
incr
easin
g cr
ime
and
caus
-in
g en
viro
nmen
tal h
arm
Teen
s who
abu
se p
er-
form
ance
-enh
anci
ng
drug
s bef
ore
thei
r ad-
oles
cent
gro
wth
spur
ts
risk
stay
ing
shor
t and
ne
ver r
each
ing
thei
r ful
l he
ight
Abu
sing
pre
scrip
tion
pain
kille
rs is
just
as
dang
erou
s an
d ad
-di
ctiv
e as
usi
ng o
ther
dr
ugs
Pare
nts
’ Q
uic
k G
uid
e t
o S
tre
et
Dru
gs
(co
nti
nu
ed
)A
list
of t
he m
ost c
omm
on d
rugs
and
subs
tanc
es p
oten
tially
exp
erim
ente
d w
ith a
nd m
isus
ed b
y yo
ung
peop
le.
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 7
“Cig
are
tte
sm
okin
g h
arm
s e
ve
ry o
rgan
in
th
e
bo
dy a
nd
cau
ses
co
ron
ary
he
art
d
ise
ase
an
d s
tro
ke
s,
as
we
ll a
s m
an
y
form
s o
f can
ce
r.”
Pare
nts
’ Q
uic
k G
uid
e t
o S
tre
et
Dru
gs
(co
nti
nu
ed
)A
list
of t
he m
ost c
omm
on d
rugs
and
subs
tanc
es p
oten
tially
exp
erim
ente
d w
ith a
nd m
isus
ed b
y yo
ung
peop
le.
Pre
scri
pti
on
sed
ati
ves
an
d t
ran
quili
sers
Pre
scri
pti
on
st
imu
lan
tsTo
bacco
Str
eet nam
esBe
nzod
ianz
epin
eRi
talin
Canc
er s
tick,
Cig
aret
tes,
Sm
okes
Lo
oks
like
Mul
ticol
oure
d ta
blet
s an
d ca
psul
es, s
ome
can
be in
liq
uid
form
Tabl
ets
and
caps
ules
Brow
n cu
t-up
leav
es
How
it’s
use
d/a
buse
dSw
allo
wed
or i
njec
ted
Swal
low
ed, i
njec
ted
or
snor
ted
Smok
ed o
r che
wed
Wh
at
tee
ns
have
he
ard
A g
reat
rele
ase
of te
nsio
nKe
eps
you
atte
ntiv
e an
d fo
cuse
dA
n or
al fi
xatio
n an
d ap
-pe
tite
supp
ress
ant
Dan
ge
rou
s b
ecau
seSl
ows d
own
the
brai
n’s
activ
ity a
nd w
hen
a us
er
stop
s usin
g th
em, t
here
can
be a
rebo
und
effec
t with
a
poss
ibilit
y of
lead
ing
to
seizu
res a
nd o
ther
har
mfu
l co
nseq
uenc
es
Taki
ng h
igh
dose
s m
ay
resu
lt in
dan
gero
usly
hi
gh b
ody
tem
pera
-tu
re a
nd a
n irr
egul
ar
hear
tbea
t. Po
tent
ial f
or
hear
t att
acks
and
leth
al
seiz
ures
Ciga
rett
e sm
okin
g ha
rms
ever
y or
gan
in
the
body
and
cau
ses
coro
nary
hea
rt d
isea
se
and
stro
ke a
s w
ell a
s m
any
form
s of
can
cer
Sig
ns
of
ab
use
Slur
red
spee
ch, s
hallo
w
brea
thin
g, sl
uggi
shne
ss,
diso
rient
atio
n, la
ck o
f co
-ord
inat
ion
Lack
of a
ppet
ite, i
n-cr
ease
d al
ertn
ess,
at
tent
ion
span
an
d en
ergy
Imp
ort
an
t
to k
no
wUs
ing pr
escri
ption
seda
tives
w
ith al
coho
l can
slow
bot
h the
he
art a
nd re
spira
tion
and p
ossib
ly lea
d to d
eath
Man
y tee
ns ab
use
this
pres
crib
ed m
edica
tion
to h
elp
them
cram
for
exam
s or s
uppr
ess t
heir
appe
tite
Seco
nd-h
and
smok
e co
ntrib
utes
to d
eath
s re
late
d to
car
diov
ascu
-la
r dis
ease
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents8
Warning signs that a friend or family member is indulging in harmful drug or alcohol use
Harmful drug and alcohol users often try to conceal their symptoms and downplay their problem. If you’re worried that a friend or family member might be abusing drugs, look for the following warning signs:
Warning signs of teen drug use
The challenge for parents is to distinguish between the normal, sometimes volatile, ups and downs of the teen years and the red flags of substance abuse. The warning signs of drug use and abuse in teenagers often include:
suddenly being secretive about friends, possessions and activities;
new interest in clothing, music and other items that highlight drug use;
demanding more privacy, locking doors, avoiding eye contact, sneaking around;
skipping class, declining grades, sud-denly getting into trouble at school;
missing money, valuables or prescrip-tions;
acting uncharacteristically isolated, withdrawn or depressed;
using incense, perfume, or air fresh-ener to hide the smell of smoke or drugs; and
using eye drops to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils.
Physical warning signs
Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are larger or smaller than usual
Changes in appetite or sleep patterns Sudden weight loss or weight gain Deterioration of physical appearance and
personal grooming habits Unusual smells on breath, body or clothing. Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired
co-ordination
Drop in attendance and performance at work or school
Unexplained need for money or financial problems
May borrow or steal to get it Engaging in secretive or suspicious
behaviours Sudden change in friends, favourite
hangouts and hobbies Frequently getting into trouble (fights,
accidents, illegal activities)
Behavioural signs
Psychological warning signs
Unexplained change in personality or attitude
Sudden mood swings, irritability or angry outbursts
Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agita-tion or giddiness
Lack of motivation; appears lethargic or “spaced out”
Appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid for no reason
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 9
When you suspect a loved one may have a drug problem
If you suspect that a friend or family member may have a drug problem, don’t ig-nore it hoping it will change in time, it won’t. Do something about it. Here are a few things you can do:
• Talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support. The earlier dependen-cy is treated, the better. Don’t wait for your loved one to hit bottom.
• Be prepared for excuses and denial with specific examples of behaviour that has you worried.
• Don’t get so caught up in someone else’s drug problem and neglect your own needs. Make sure you have people you can talk to and lean on for support, and stay safe. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. Join a support group.
• Don’t make excuses or try to hide the problem. It’s natural to want to help a loved one in need, but pro-tecting them from the negative consequences of their choices may keep them from getting the help they need.
• You can support a person with a drug or alcohol problem and encour-age treatment, but you can’t force a person with a dependency to change.
• You can’t control your loved one’s decisions. Let the person ac-cept responsibility for his or her actions, an essential step along the way to recovery for drug dependency.
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents10
Educate yourself and others about the positive and negative effects of substances, the risk of using them and what resources are available. Get brochures from your local clinic, your doctor, NGO’s or the internet.
Make informed choices about your own use of mood-altering substances (e.g. relax and have a good time without necessarily using alcohol, cigarettes or other mood-altering substances), and address any problems you may experience.
Discuss alcohol and other drug use openly with different people (no moralising, blaming or shaming. Let people explain their views, share your values and why you feel the way you do.)
Take notice of the signs that suggest problematic use of mood-altering substances in the people around you.
Set clear limits for yourself on the way someone else’s substance use affects you and decide on consequences that you are willing and able to carry through, should their behaviour not change.
Be honest, clear and caring with the user, saying how you are being affected by their actions and what limits you have set.
Offer constructive support to the user by giving information about interventions and treatment options, should they choose to seek help.
Be consistent in the way you apply your limits and their consequences. (Be prepared to lose a person’s affection for a while. Avoid feeling guilty for their poor decisions. This does not make you a bad person.)
Call to action – what can you do?
When parents or a friend confront the challenges of dealing with a loved one engaged in harmful drug or alcohol use, they often feel helpless.
One needs to educate oneself in order to help another.
Where does one start addressing the problem?Harmful drug or alcohol use can be a very real challenge. It often requires more than just the abuser or misuser to address the problem. It may require the con-scious action and commitment from the rest of the family to address the issue successfully.
The best place to start is at the beginning. Here are a few tips as to where to start the process of addressing the problem.
1
2
345678
Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 11
Monitor yourself. Try to be aware of ways in which you may inadvertently be making it easier for problems to continue.
Get support and help for yourself — you will probably find many others in similar situations. Join a support group.Information provided courtesy © Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre 2007
910
Myths and facts about harmful alcohol/drug use
The second step is to know, and then dispense with, the myths and excuses the user or abuser may offer as an explanation or promise of action.
MYTH 1:Overcoming harmful use or depen-dency is simply a matter of willpow-er. “You can stop using drugs if you really want to.”FACT:Prolonged exposure to drugs and alcohol alters the brain. These brain changes make it extremely difficult for an individual to quit by sheer force of will.
MYTH 2:Dependency is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it.FACT:Dependency is a disease, but that does not mean you’re a helpless vic-tim. Dependency can be treated and reversed through therapy, medica-tion, exercise and other treatments.
MYTH 3:Harmful drug and alcohol users have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. FACT:Treatment and recovery can begin at any point of dependency. The earlier, the better. The longer abuse continues, the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait, act immediately.
MYTH 4:You can’t force someone into treat-ment. They have to want help.FACT:Treatment does not have to be voluntary to be successful. Someone that is pres-sured into treatment can still benefit and make a full recovery from addition.
MYTH 5:Treatment did not work before, so there’s no point trying again. Some cases are hopeless.
FACT:Recovery from drug dependency is a long pro-cess. It often involves setbacks. Relapse does not mean that treatment has failed or that the person is a lost cause. Do not give up.
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When someone resists your help
All too often a parent, family member or a friend tries to help someone close to them who is engaging in harmful drug or alcohol use and is behaving dangerously, but with little success.
What can you do if they ignore or resist any attempt to assist them to seek help?
Action required:
For this, the person needs to be taken to the nearest day hospital and ask them to assist.
If they refuse to go to the day hospital, you can call the police to take them there.
If they seem reluctant to act (sometimes the case), you can get a MHCA 04 form from your nearest day hospital and take it your local SAPS charge office.
The SAPS are then obliged to take him/her to the nearest day hospital for assessment.
If drugs seem to be the cause of their behaviour and the focus of the attention (e.g. violent and aggressive while high, demanding of money for drugs, etc.), they can be forced to go for compulsory drug treatment under the Substance Dependence Act.
They then need to be committed.
You have to go to the local magistrate’s office and make an affidavit in this regard. Then hand the affidavit in at your nearest social development office for action.
This is a lengthy process that goes through court and can take months but it is better than leaving the situation to worsen without acting on it.
If the person seems mentally unstable and psychotic (e.g. hearing voices, par-anoid, believes things that are untrue to be true, etc.) and is a danger to them-selves or others as a result of this, they should be certified under the Mental Health Care Act.
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If they commit a crime (whether it is as a result of drug use or not), they are to be held legally accountable for this.
If they commit a crime as a result of a mental illness, there is a process where-by patients are sent for observation at Valkenburg and get compulsory mental health treatment.
If it is as a result of their dependency, the judge can sentence them via Article 296 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1977, for compulsory drug treatment, should the probation officer recommend it.
If neither of these two reasons are at play and they commit a crime, you need to consider whether you want them to repeatedly get away with it, or learn by experi-encing the consequences of their behaviour.
The offender may end up with a criminal record and may be sentenced to a prison term, which may be traumatic.
If the abuser is often abusive and violent at home (domestic violence), one can also get a restraining order and the police are obliged to act on this and remove them.
One may also apply for a protection order against the offending party to avoid fu-ture confrontation and abuse.
The advice is: act to address the problem and to protect yourself and your family.
It will also be of benefit to the abuser in the long term.
Courtesy Dr. Weich MRC 2009
... may end up with a criminal record and may be sentenced
to a prison term ...
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Where to find helpDepartment of Social Development Toll-Free:0800 220 250
South African Police Services:0860 010 111
City of Cape Town:0800 435 748
Stikland Helpline:021 940 4500 (detoxification alcohol) and 021 940 4496 (detoxification opioid)
Department of Social Development Regional Offices:
Metro North: 021 483 7689
Metro South: 021 763 6200
Metro East: 021 360 4200
West Coast: 022 713 2272
Eden-Karoo: 081 588 9118
Cape Winelands: 023 348 5300
OR
Department of Social Development’s mobi site:https://www.westerncape.gov.za/substance-abuse/
OR