Addiction Harm Reduction Is Obligatory Not Voluntary
Archive for February, 2011
Welcome to The Addiction Action Campaign
Feb 22nd
Welcome to The Addiction Action Campaign
The Addiction Action Campaign is a registered non-profit organization that exists for the benefit of all South Africans regardless of race, religion, culture or creed. The epidemic of addiction in our country is massive. Far greater than most people are aware of. One normally thinks of addiction in terms of illegal drugs and alcohol, but millions of South Africans are addicted to a vast range of addictions such as illegal substances, legal substances as well as behaviours.
The A.A.C. exists to reduce the harm caused by the existence and sale of addictive products or services whether they are legal or illegal. One must therefore focus on the demand and on Harm Reduction.
The demand for addictive substances etc. will never end unless people are properly educated from at least the age of 7 years old. However, suppliers must be held financially accountable for the rehabilitation costs of people wishing to receive treatment as industries are responsible to a certain degree.
We have a clear vision and mission for South Africa and we believe that it is possible to greatly reduce the effects of substance abuse and addiction on society.
Our Perspective
(see also The Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act)
- South Africa has become dependent to income generated from the sale of addictive products or services. Government must ensure that S.A. becomes independent of its dependency to sin taxes and other taxes earned from addiction.
- South Africa’s dependency to income derived from addictive products and or services, actually ENABLES ADDICTION. All this income should be used exclusively for the purposes of addiction & substance abuse treatment and prevention.
- Industries that sell addictive products or services are responsible for the treatment costs of people who are addicted to their products etc. Namely cigarette, alcohol, casinos, pornographers and pharmaceutical companies etc.. If an industry profits from a dependency, i.e. if people cannot control their intake of a product or service because they are addicted to it, then the level spending on harm reduction must match the level of profit made from that dependency.
- The country’s consciousness concerning the severity of addiction in S.A. needs to change. Government must become actively involved in educating South Africans about the dangers of using ANY substance, product or service which is addictive.
- More people in S.A. are addicted to a substance, product, service or behaviour than there are people living with HIV/AIDS. Government must publicly admit this fact and present a plan of action to the South African people on how they will strive towards a society free of addiction.
- The most dangerous addictive services and products are all legal. If alcohol or cigarettes were invented today, they would be illegal because they are so dangerous. Government must do everything in its power to reduce the harm that these products cause to South Africans.
- South Africa’s law makers and industry professionals must accept Harm Reduction philosophies and implement strategies which ensure that if harm is being caused, then there must be accountability and programs in place to reduce such harm.
- Every South African has a basic human right to proper health care. We believe that every South African has a right to high quality addiction treatment which is affordable. Unfortunately, this is not the case. 95% of people needing addiction treatment do not have access to treatment because it is unaffordable and only available in English and Afrikaans.
- Addiction is a neglected issue. Addiction & substance abuse kills more people in S.A. annually than HIV/AIDS does. Yet, no provisions are made for the issue through current CSR funding programs or from international philanthropic foundations.
- The last study on the effects of addiction on society was completed in 1996. This study was incomplete as it only measured certain substances and neglected addictive behaviours. The effect and extent of addiction & substance abuse in South Africa needs to be officially measured if we are to effectively deal with the issue as whole.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Alcohol in South Africa
Feb 21st
Source : TalkingAlcohol.com
What is ‘moderate drinking’?
The Addiction Action Campaign congratulates SAB Miller for providing this information to South Africans. “However, this information should be household knowledge. What we’d like to see is their adverts showing responsible use that doesn’t encourage people to have one more”, said Warren Whitfield AAC founder and C.E.O.
SAB Miller have shown a commitment to reducing the harm that alcohol causes to South Africans and are currently considering making funding available for addiction treatment. “This will be a first for South Africa if they do decide to fund treatment and we hope that this will encourage other companies in similar industries to do the same”, he said.
There is no single definition of ‘moderate drinking’. Some say it’s drinking that doesn’t cause problems for the drinker or for society. Others suggest it’s about drinking within the range that maximises the known benefits of alcohol consumption without substantially increasing the risks.
One way of thinking about it is to look at some of the general guidelines available and consider how they fit your circumstances.
That’s because people don’t react to alcohol in the same way. How we define ‘one drink’ can differ too. And, finally, customs and cultures are different – what’s considered moderate drinking in one country might not be in another.
Many governments produce official drinking guidelines, but these guidelines often vary between countries. Here’s how some governments define moderate alcohol consumption:
- US: Two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women – the guidelines state that drinking at these levels may even provide some protection against heart disease. Twelve fluid ounces of beer counts as one drink
- South Africa: No more than one drink (12 grams of alcohol) per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men
- UK: An upper limit of 32 grams of alcohol per day for men and 24 grams of alcohol per day for women
- Australia: No more than two standard drinks (10 grams of alcohol per standard drink) per day for both men and women.
“If you exceed the RDA of alcohol consumption, you’re misusing alcohol”, said Whitfield who believe that the majority of the income generated by alcohol companies comes from misuse. “The reality is that once you’ve had more than one drink, you’re brain chemistry is altered to such a degree that you are more likely to ignore the RDA and misuse alcohol”, he said.