“Whilst we applaud the initiative by the Portfolio Committee on Social Development (National Assembly) inviting participation in public hearings advertised in the Sunday Times yesterday (2008-04-20), it does not address addiction as a whole,” said Whitfield. “A national programme that provides effective treatment for victims of substance abuse is sorely needed, but what about people whose addictions are not to substances?” he asked.
Whitfield insisted, “Addiction as a whole includes substances (both legal and illegal), as well as behaviours. Parliament should consider changing the bill’s name (and focus) from ‘The Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Bill’ to ‘The Prevention of and Treatment of Addictions Bill’. Addiction might most accurately be defined as ‘a pathological attachment to a mood-altering experience’ irrespective of the means whereby that experience is triggered.”
“Addiction is big business in South Africa,” he said. “The proposed bill suggests a lack of interest in targeting legal addictive products, services and behaviours like cigarettes, gambling and pornography and needs to be expanded to include these.”
Whitfield pointed out that there were plenty of funds available to address the problem of addiction in its entirety. “Instead of using a portion of ‘sin taxes’ for healthcare, all of it should be used for a national addiction treatment programme. The social responsibility funds generated from ‘sin’ companies need to increase tenfold. Whilst they are providing for the needs of various other social issues, they neglect addiction treatment programmes.
They are a fraction of the size of what they should be, considering the damage they cause to the lives of ordinary people and especially the poor.” he said.
Whitfield committed the A.A.C. to participation in the public hearings scheduled to take place from 13-16 May 2008 at Parliament and urged all parties to support their campaign to have the scope of the bill broadened to encompass all aspects of addiction. He appealed for secondary victims, especially the family members and friends of all kinds of addicts, to rally to the cause and lend their aid to the A.A.C. in addressing the problem of addiction.
Contact Information:
Warren WhitfieldThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 079-066-3382
3 Fairview, 171 Blaauwberg Road, Table View, Cape Town, 7441.