Rhodes University Dean of Students Dr Vivian de Klerk recently sent out a tweet saying: “[…] one awaiting trial: arrested in digs last week by police for drug dealing.” Drug dealing almost certainly means there is drug use – and that should not come as a surprise at any tertiary institution.
Rhodes University Dean of Students Dr Vivian de Klerk recently sent out a tweet saying: “[…] one awaiting trial: arrested in digs last week by police for drug dealing.” Drug dealing almost certainly means there is drug use – and that should not come as a surprise at any tertiary institution.
Substance use can lead to substance abuse – a reality in many communities, including the university. Substance abuse is the overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs.
Rhodes University is a strong advocate against alcohol abuse and does not allow advertisements to mention alcohol to as a means of persuading people to attend campus events. The university has hundreds of posters around the university grounds admonishing alcohol abuse and has now shifted the focus of its campaign from “stop drinking” to “drink responsibly”.
Students are required to know their limits and stay safe. At the beginning of the year Rhodes runs a week long programme called Live Smart which aims to give students alternative activities for having fun, besides drinking. It also holds various awareness campaigns on diverse topics, from rape, breast cancer, HIV/Aids to alcohol, throughout the year – but drug-awareness campaigns are few and little known.
When asked whether she thought the university could do more about drug awareness, Jane Chapola, a second-year student replied: “Does it do anything in the first place? If they do they should actually tell us about it, advertise more or do something similar to the sexual violence = silence protest – but with former drug addicts telling their stories. People need to be shaken up a little so that they don’t do it,” she said.
During orientation week, first-year students are given a brief talk on the dangers of drugs and other issues such as eating disorders and safety around Grahamstown. Unfortunately these talks are often ineffective. The students in charge of the talks roll out drug after drug, with minimum emphasis on the consequences or understanding of the drugs themselves.
Thereafter the Counselling Centre makes a concerted effort to bring the issue to light as it sends its wellness leaders around for an hour-long talk with the first-years in the residences. After that the issue of drugs becomes somewhat mute and senior years feel very little warnings of drug use.
Due to the fact that the university places such emphasis on alcohol, drugs seem less important and less dangerous. Drinking alcohol is not an illegal activity but does need to be controlled; selling and using drugs, however, is illegal.
In this regard the university feels it is not their mandate to teach people to not break the law. I do not believe that any University needs to train students not to be criminals. It stands to reason that nobody should break the law, said De Klerk in an emailed response to questions from this newspaper.
The most frequently used substance is dagga, as many students believe it presents no permanent or real danger to their health. The wider Grahamstown community has also been fighting drugs for a very long time. In 2010 a Local Drug Action committee was formed with the aim of addressing substance abuse in town and the schools of Grahamstown.
In 2011 a local Grahamstown woman was apprehended by Thai police for drug trafficking. On 21 March this year the DA organised a successful march in town against substance abuse. Grahamstown SAPS spokesperson Captain Mali Govender has acknowledged that the drug arrest was one of the very few incidents involving Rhodes University students. "I'm not very sure of the outcome of the cases, but it is also the community that is involved, not just specifically Rhodes students," Govender said.
She said parents and guardians should talk to their children about drugs and keep a lookout for behaviours that signal drug use.
