Throwing the book at drugs

The abuse of drugs and crimes associated with it is a scourge that is devastating our society - but MRC researchers are playing a practical role in drug intervention efforts, write LORENZO RAYNARD and ELMIEN WOLVAARDT.

The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit of the MRC has been a major force in promoting awareness of the extent and burden of drug and alcohol abuse in South Africa, with their work resulting in policy changes in South African liquor laws and changes in norms and standards for drug treatment centres.

Recently, research done in the unit has led to the production of a practical tool that is actively helping community members and the police fight drugs on our streets: The South African Drug Enforcement Handbook, a guide to identifying street drugs and the people that use and sell them.

The booklet was developed from the results of a study - called the 3 Metros Study - that looked at people who had been arrested for various crimes. Researchers tested over three thousand people at ten police stations in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The suspects who agreed to take part in the study completed a questionnaire and were tested for both drugs and HIV.

The results of this study were then used to draw up profiles of drug users and dealers, which were then included in the handbook. For example, the study found that urban cocaine users are more likely to be female, white or coloured and under the age of 30.

The handbook has proved to be of great use to law enforcement officers, as Johannesburg Police Commissioner Oswald Reddy points out: 'Not all officers are aware of the extent of the drug problem and, with the assistance of the handbook, they are able to familiarise themselves with the most recent drugs on the street.

'It is difficult to keep abreast of developments in the ever- changing drug scene in South Africa. In order to be effective, cops on the beat need the latest information about cocaine, hashish and drugs like tik or ecstasy,' he said.

The handbook also indicates which drugs are more problematic in some areas of the country than in others, and the profile information on user and dealer types allows the officer to know which communities are most at risk and when to be most vigilant to signs of drug use.

Professor Charles Parry, Director of the Unit, explains that research on trends and consequences of the abuse of alcohol and other drugs has been ongoing since 1996. The primary sources of data are drug treatment centres, the South African Narcotics Bureau, mortuaries, and trauma units. The South African Community Epidemiological Network on Drug Use ( SACENDU), the Alcohol and Drug Research Unit of the MRC, the Institute for Security Studies, and the National Institute of Justice of the United States, joined forces to make the study and the booklet a reality.

Drug use generally is of concern, but it is when drug users become involved in criminal activities that it becomes a problem for the police and criminal justice system. A drug- using lifestyle often involves criminal activity: drug users are more likely to commit crimes because they do not participate in the legitimate economy and are exposed to situations that involve crime. This lifestyle is often supported by illegal activities, like shoplifting and burglary.

Law enforcement officers have always been aware of the link between drugs and crime, as pointed out by police commissioner Reddy, who was the station commissioner of Hillbrow police station when the study was conducted. Reddy says: 'While we were always aware of the link between crime and drugs, we never had concrete evidence that would confirm our suspicion. The three categories of involvement with drugs are the users, the dealers on the street - commonly referred to as "runners" - and the "kingpins", or the suppliers of drugs. There are different criminal activities associated with each of these. The user will start engaging in petty crime, like cell phone theft, in an attempt to support their addiction. The runners often have a track record of criminal activity and engage in more violent crime, while the kingpins, the group we are most focused on, engage on a more organised, syndicate level of criminal activity.'

According to Prof Parry there is a strong correlation between the use of substance and crime. Some people take substances and that has an effect on their behaviour - they do things they would not do if they were not under the influence. Since alcohol is a dis-inhibitor, you most likely would be speeding while driving under the influence. The withdrawal symptoms of harder drugs can result in some people exhibiting violent behaviour in their desperation to acquire money or goods to exchange for drugs. There is also a link between systemic crimes, like turf wars, gangsterism and vigilanterism, and the drug trade.

Bronwyn Myers, a senior scientist in the unit, indicates that drug- related crime research has revealed that habitual drug users frequently suffer from "co- occurring psychological problems". She says that mandrax, combined with other drugs or alcohol, is capable of producing incredible aggression while leaving users numb to the emotions that would normally deter them from excessively violent acts.

Andreas Plüddemann, also a senior scientist in the unit, said of the study results: 'Arrestees who tested positive for at least one drug were twice as likely to have had a prior arrest as compared to arrestees who did not test positive for drugs.

Another key finding of the study was that a high proportion of the arrestees that tested positive for drug use were between the ages of 18 and 20. This is similar to experience in the United States, which could mean that South Africa can expect levels of some crimes to increase in the future - if more young people become involved in crime, chances are crime levels will continue to increase. 'This is a big burden on the criminal justice system and there is an obvious implication for treatment,' said Prof Parry.

In young Americans it was found that use of both cocaine/ crack and cannabis was related to the frequency of being involved in the selling of drugs. Given that many drug dealers sell drugs in order to support their own habit it is not surprising that a high proportion of persons arrested on alcohol/ drug offences tested positive for drugs. Thus, as young people were also the most likely to test positive for drugs, as found in the South Africa study, they are also likely to place the biggest burden on the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, very few court diversion ( to treatment) programmes exist in SA. People arrested for drug use- related offences thus often become victims of a spiral of crime, where they may progress from being a user to becoming a dealer, to getting involved in other organised crime. An early intervention in the form of treatment for a first- time drug- use offender could significantly reduce the compound effect of drugs on the criminal justice system.

'Intervention is clearly paramount, especially among youth.

Internationally, a variety of prevention programmes have been designed to break the cycle of drugs and crime as well as the burden placed on the criminal justice system by persons arrested for drug- related crimes. These include community development programmes, diversion programmes, treatment programmes in prison, and treatment programmes in general', says Andreas Plüddemann.

The pocket- sized South African Drug Enforcement Handbook is available in English and the compact format allows for quick referencing. The booklet would also be ideal for parents/ educators when wanting to equip themselves with how to recognise drugs, understand the effects, and perceive the signs of drug consumption and dealing.

As Prof Parry says: 'Helping people get out of drugs may help them get out of crime.