The increase in drug abuse in South Africa has had major social implications in the country. Problems associated with drug dependency are poverty, unemployment, a heavier burden on the health care system, the disintegration of family systems and drug-related crimes. Another area of concern is the link between drug abuse and child abuse. While…

Although substance abuse affects the family, the children of substance abusers suffer the most. When parents are unable to care for their children because of their untreated addiction, the children are at risk for social and health problems that include alcohol and drug use, delinquency, depression, and poor school performance. One approach to…

Describes two ways in which substance abuse is related to violence: trade in drugs and being under the influence of drugs. The paper argues that reducing the demand for drugs by eliminating the market for them will bring about a reciprocal reduction in substance abuse-related violence. (GR)