alCoHol and druG use

Alcohol and drug use among children and adolescents are causes of increasing concern in South Africa. They are major contributors to crime, violence and intentional and unintentional injuries, as well as to other social, health and economic problems. This Chapter focuses on children, including adolescents, up to the age of 18 years. Children’s and adolescents’ substance use can be accounted for by a multiplicity of factors at the societal, community, school, familial and individual levels. A combination of universal, selected and indicated intervention strategies are needed to prevent their substance use problems. In addition, effective specialist services, although inadequate in South Africa, are essential for treating young people who already have substance use disorders. While there is much evidence regarding regulatory interventions that are most effective in reducing substance use problems, many barriers to their implementation exist. Further research to improve understanding of various aspects of young people’s substance use and its relationship to crime and violence is needed. Of particular importance are more studies that can shed further light on the factors that constitute protective factors for substance use, and the kind of non-regulatory strategies that can be effective in reducing levels of substance use among children and adolescents in South Africa