Social Development
In the light of growing concerns regarding the increased use of tobacco, vapes and “hubbly bubbly” among underage youths:
(1) Whether there is any existing collaborative strategy between his Department and the Department of Health and Wellness to address this concerning trend; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether this Department has engaged with parents, schools or community leaders in the affected areas to raise awareness and to curb access to these harmful substances; if so, what are the relevant details?
- Tobacco is regulated by the National Minister of Health under the Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993 (41) Act 12 of 1999. Interdepartmental co-ordination on tobacco and all substance abuse matters is conducted by the Western Cape Substance Abuse Forum, although there is currently no standalone strategy for tobacco use. A platform has been established between the Department of Health and Wellness and the Department of Social Development’s Restorative Services Directorate in the respective provincial offices (Substance Abuse Working Group DSD - DOHW). This platform is currently in a formative state and is a vehicle for closer interdepartmental co-operation on cross-cutting substance misuse issues, including tobacco.
- The Department of Social Development has a funding relationship with 29 specialist substance abuse organizations across the province. All organizations render preventative services additionally to the intervention level they are funded for. Addressing issues pertaining to tobacco products forms part of both prevention and early intervention services.
Currently the organizations do not report on their preventative services in such a way that it specifies a particular substance, so it remains difficult to segregate the data. The general rule applicable to these registered service providers is that they should conduct prevention in accordance with the UNODC Guidelines for Effective Prevention Services which include a focus on both legal and illegal substances. Tobacco harms awareness and education are also provided in schools via life orientation curriculum material.
DSD-run services report against annual performance plan indicators for early intervention and operational indicators for prevention, of which both include interventions that consider all substances of choice. As in the case of funded organisations, data cannot be segregated to specify the focus on tobacco products separately from other commonly abused substances.
