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One leads to anotherEpisode 17 - Substance Abuse

We are all aware that South Africa has a high incidence of drug and alcohol related problems.  In Cape Town last year alone some 46% of patients seeking drug treatment were tik users compared to just 0.7% four years earlier.  Alcohol abuse is also widespread throughout our country. The associated risk-taking behaviour that substance abuse leads to contributes to the high rates of HIV infection in our communities. It also contributes to and compounds unemployment and poverty especially in our communities affected most by HIV and TB.

Shalom: Sanibonani siyanamukela nonke kuSiyayinqoba Beat It! Uhlelo lwanoba ubani esihlangene naye lapha ukuze sinqobe izingqinamba esibhekene nazo nesandulela ngculaza. Samkela ithimba elesekelayo, ninjani? Namhlanje sikhuluma ngotshwala nezidakamizwa nangendlela lokhu kwenza ukuthi iningi lethu lwenze izinto eziwubudlabha nezenza ukuthi lizithole livele kakhulu ebungozini bokuthola igciwane lesandulela ngculaza. Utshwala nezidakamizwa futhi bungenza abantu bangayithathi ngendlela efanelekile imishwanguzo yabo lokhu kuholele ekutheni bangalapheki ngendlela efanelekile. Namhlanje sihanjelwe uMandla Tshuma, ongumeluleki esikhungweni sokohlukana nokusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa eGoli siyakwamukela bhuti Mandla ninjani? Le ndaba elandelayo ivela e Khayelitsha eNtshonalanga Koloni (isiZulu). Hello and welcome to Siyayinqoba Beat It! The programme for everyone meeting and beating the challenges of HIV and AIDS. Welcome to the support group, how are you doing guys? Today we are talking about alcohol and drugs and the way in which these substances cause many of us to take risks that increase our chances of getting HIV. Alcohol and drugs can also lead to people not taking their ARVs on time which can make the treatment not work properly. Our guests today is Mandla Tshuma, a councellor at a drug rehabilitation centre in Johannesburg. This story is from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.

Support group: Siphilile Shalom, unjani? Very well, thank you Shalom.

Mandla Tshuma: Ngiyaphila sisi, ngiyabonga ukuba nawe namhlanje (isiZulu). I'm very well thank you. I'm happy to be with you guys today.

Vuyo Nibe: Sise Radio Zibonele e Khayelitsha sithetha noAndile Madondile nomama uBam nge adherence (isiXhosa). Today we're at Radio Zibonele in Khayelitsha to talk to Andile Madondile and Mama Bam about adherence.

Nono Bam: Mandibulise kumakhaya ngamakhaya ndingu Nono ka Bam emva komboko ndinibulisa apha ekhaya. Ndithemba ukuthi uvuka ukwentle impilo njengam ke ndikwentle impilo. Apha ke sihleli khona nondwendwe lwam endizakuthi ke ndilunike luzibulisele (isiXhosa). Hello everybody at home, my name is Nono Bam. I'm doing great today and I hope you are too. I would like to give my guest a chance to greet the viewers.

Andile Madondile: Mandibulise mama uBam kuwe kuqala ndibulise nabasasazi bonke beziko labantu nakubaphulaphuli jikelele be 98.2. Ok ke mama uBam namhlanje sizakukhe sithethe nge adherence isikakhulu kwi antiretrovirals. Siphinde sithethe ke sithi vandla kancinci naxa uzidibanisa notywala uyaqonda mama uBam, ukuthi zintoni eziye zenzeka kuwe uyaqonda. Because you find out ukuthi abantu abaninzi ngoku mama uBam kuthi ngoku sebethatha le treatment ngoku net azibone ebhetere kakhulu, umntu abutele kengoku kwimeko yakhe ebeyiphila ngaphambili umzekelo uyaqonda umntu abuyele etywaleni. Lonto kengoku iba yingxaki enkulu kakhulu kengoku when it comes to itreatment because lomntu kaloku anga developer iresistance ekuhambeni kwexesha. So ke sakubetha nje apho isikakhulu i-alcohol kunye ne anti-retrovirals. Ndiyithetha ke mama uBam lento ndiyithetha nge experience ndingomnye wabantu okokuqala nam endathi ndisakuqalisa ndisakuzibona ukuthi ndibhetele ndakwazi ukuthi ok mandikhe ndibuyele kancinci apha etywaleni. But ke ekuhambeni ngokokudibana ne counseling nentoni ntoni ndayibona ukuthi ok lento lena maan ayisebenzi ayihambiselani netreatment lena ndiyithathayo (isiXhosa). Hello to you mama Bam and to all the listeners of 98.2. Today we're going to talk about adhering to your antiretrovirals. We're also going to talk about what happens when you mix ARVs with alcohol because we find that once people feel better on this treatment they go back to their old habits, like drinking alcohol. This becomes a problem with regard to treatment because one might develop resistance. That's what we're talking about today, alcohol and retrovirals. I'll be talking about this from my own personal experience. I was one of those people. When I started feeling better I started drinking alcohol again but after some counseling and other things I realized that this treatment does not work well with alcohol.

Nono: Because kaloku into ebangela mhlawumbi abantu bayeke esithubeni mhlawumbi kukudinwa ukutya ipilisi all the time, mhlawumbi ayikho ibreak umntu ayinikwayo kuthiwe ok mhlawumbi for 3 months ungakhe uhlale ungatyi? (isiXhosa) Maybe people just get tired of taking these pills all the time, don't you get a break, say for 3months, from taking these pills?

Andile: Ngokwe protocol mama uBam ingakumbi kwi antiretrovirals xa sowuthe waziqalisa i-ARV's okokuqala uzitya ubomi bakho naphakade amen. Unless ngugqirha umntu othe wabona ukuthi ok kukhona kengoku into ayibonayo. Kodwa ke mama uBam ndifunakhe ndiyazi ba wena njengomphulaphuli njengomntu okwi treatment awukwazi uvele nje wena nje phantsi uthi ok ndizakuziyekela itreatment ngoku uyaqonda. Ngoba kaloku uzaku developer iresistance umzekelo njengoba bukhe wandiva sithetha nangomcimbi wotywala kwakezipilisi. Siyayazi ukuthi utywala nabo ukuthu bune impact obuyanzayo ingakumbi kuwe wena mntu uthathe itreatment uyaqonda. Imost yezinye nezinye ipilisi neyiphi na oyithathayo zicolwa esibindini xa uzakusindisa kengoku esisibindi ngotywala uphinde usindise esisibindi kengoku ngecuba uphinde usindise esisibindi ngepilisi ekufanele ba kaloku zitheni ziye pha kuso sizakohlulakala isibindi sakho. And once sadamageka kengoku isibindi sakho mntasekhaya uzakufika kukhona abantu besafolile ke pha balindele ukufakelwa izibindi. Ngoba kaloku kwa ezi antiretrovirals mama uBam aziyinyangi iHIV and AIDS qha ziyayithomalalisa intsholongwane. So kengoku wena xa ufuna ukuphila ubomi obude uzakubambelela kwi treatment le yakho uyazi ba ok ezinto bendikade ndizenza ecaleni uyaaqonda ingakumbi kule ndima yotywala. Because kaloku mama uBam xa usela utywala okokuqala uzakulibala ukusebenzisa icondom okokuqala uyayiqonda, uzakulibala ipilisi zakho ngexesha lazo okufanele uzithathe ngalo kaloku uphantsi kwempembelelo zotywala uyaqonda. Zininzi nje izinto ozazilibala uyayiqonda (isiXhosa). According to the protocol, once you start taking ARVs you will take them for the rest of your life unless the doctor advises you otherwise. You can't just decide to stop taking your treatment by yourself because you're going to develop resistance. For example, when we talk about alcohol and these pills we know that alcohol has an impact on you just like this treatment. Most of these pills are metabolized in your liver. Now if you put pressure on your liver with your drinking and smoking on top of these pills, your liver won't be able to handle it. Once your liver is damaged, you'll be waiting in a long queue of people waiting for a liver transplant. ARVs are not a cure for HIV/AIDS they just keep it in check. So if you want to live a long life, you must stick to your treatment and stop all the other things, especially alcohol because when you're drunk, you're going to forget to use condoms, and you will forget to take your pills on time. A lot can happen.

Victor Lakay: Andile mfowethu ek wil jou iets vrae maan (Afrikaans) Andile my brother I want to ask you sometimes...you admit in the insert that your drinking affected your adherence you might not necessarily take your drugs on time or forget to take them. What did you do that got you to change to your behavior?

Andile: Ok ke wena bhuti Victor nhe eyona nto ithe yandinceda kakhulu nhe uyaqonda is to go kwi support group ekliniki yaqonda especially abantu abaphila nentsholongwane kagawulayo yaqonda. Otherwise nje enye nenye indawo ayikho mntanasekhaya mna eKhayelitsha apho uqonda ba ok xa unengxaki yotywala ungaya kuyo special. Akhondawo ndiyaziyo (isiXhosa) ...the one thing that really helped for was to go to a support group at my clinic, especially since it was for people living with HIV. Otherwise I don't know of any place in Khayelitsha where people with alcohol problems can go and seek help.

Busi Maqungo: Why kwilantuka kwingxaki ezinje ngotywala especially because Siyayazi ba yeyona inengxaki kakhulu kwi communities zethu. Kungekho zi support groups when kwathi xa kuvela iHIV zakhona zonke ezi structures zoku supporter abantu. I mean kwanyanzeleka ba mazibekhona isupport groups, but kutywala it hasn't been seen as into efuna ukuba makude kubekhona isupport groups zabantu abafuni ukuyeka utywala (isiXhosa). Why did we not start support groups for alcohol abuse when we first started HIV treatment, knowing full well that alcohol abuse is a problem in our communities. We formed all these support structures in the form of support group. Why do we not see the need to start support groups for people who want to quit drinking?

Pholokgolo Ramothwala: (SeSotho) Alcohol discussions should be part of our support groups because you can link it with issues of ARVs. Like Andile is saying, he stopped drinking because of the adherence problems. You can bring up similar issues to say this is what I experienced then people can learn from that without having to start a new structure  because people I think it's difficult to start Alcoholics Anonymous in our communities.

Luckyboy Mkhonzwane: Bhuti Mandla mina umbuzo wami ngizobuza njengomuntu ophuzayo nhe, ukuthi mangabe kuyenzakala ukuthi sengi addicted kwi alcohol, yiziphi mhlawumbi impawu engizozibona? because siyazi ukuthi umuntu maka addicted to something kubakhona izinto ozibonayo wena yourself. Ngifune nokwazi ukuthi mangabe u-addicted kwi alcohol ingabe fanele uyeke like completely or uyakwazi ukuthi ukwazi ukuthi ufike ezingeni la uzilanganisela khona ukuthi ngizophuza ngize ngifike ezingeni elithize? (isiZulu) Mandla I'm asking this as someone who drinks alcohol, if it happens that I get addicted to alcohol, what are the symptoms because we know that there are signs that a person is addicted? Also if you're addicted to alcohol, should you stop drinking completely or can you cut down to a certain amount?

Mandla: Into yokuqala kubanakala ukuthi sowuphumile endleleni ukuthi awusaphuzi inani elaneleyo ubona ngokusebenzisa imali eningi. Besowuqala ngokuthi awusayi emsebenzeni, awusayi esikoleni uma ungumntana wasesikoleni, besekubonakala ukuthi endlini sowusiba nolaka. Awusakhoni ukuhlala uxoxe nomama wasekhaya nabantwana ngendlela efanaleyo. Awusayi emsebenzini umsebenzi uyaphela awusenamali yonke into iqala ke lapho. Yiko esizibona ngako ukuthi hayi sekunenkinga la ekhaya le nkinga seyidinga ni seyidinga usizo (isiZulu). The first sign that you're drinking too much is that you'll start using lot of money. Then you start missing work or school if you're a student. You start being this aggressive person at home, you don't sit and talk to the family in a civil manner. You don't go to work and you end up losing your job, you don't have any money, that's how it all starts. That's how we notice that there is a problem and you need help.

Shalom: Sisathatha ikhefu elincane sizobuya khona manje. Siyanamukela futhi kuSiyayinqoba Beat It! Namhlanje sikhuluma ngotshwala nezidakamizwa. Akhe siye entshonalanga Koloni manje sihlangane nowesilisa osemncane othi uphuzo yilo olwamenza ukuthi athole igciwane lwesandulela ngculaza. (isiZulu). Let's take a quick break, we'll be right back. Welcome back to Siyayinqoba Beat It! Today we are discussing drugs and alcohol. Let's go to the Western Cape and meet a young man who says his drinking led him to be infected with HIV.

Vuyo: Namhlanje sise Khayelitsha eSite B ko K, sithetha no Elethu Berend nge substance abuse. Masiyomveni (isiXhosa). Today we're in Khayelitsha, Site B in K Section we'll be talking to Elethu Berend about substance abuse.

Elethu Berend: Indaba yotywala ke ndiqale ngo 1997 ukusela utywala and yet ukusela kwam utywala ndisela ndiqhubekeka ndinabangani bendihlala nabo esimokolweni sihlale sisele. So kuyo yonke lonto leyo ndiye ndagula ngo 2005 ndahamba ndotshekisha ekliniki, xa ndifika ekliniki kwathiwa ndine TB. Kwathiwa kucelwa kengoku ukutshekishwa ingaba andinaso na isifo sikagawulayo. So baye banditshekisha bafumanisa ok ndi positive bandixelela ukuthi ndi positive. Ndingatsho mna iHIV ndiyifumene ngenxa yosela because emveni kwayo yonke into ebangela nditsho ndaqala utywala xa sisesimokolweni sifumana namankazana then sihamba siyolala ngaphandle kwe condom. Asinalo ixesha le condom, ndandingekabinayo ne information ukuthi icondom yabona then ndandizixelele ukuba mna soze ndisebenzise condom ndifuna ukuya straighgt. Kuqala mos iCD4 count yam yayisithi 247, yayisehla yafumaniseka ba ibetha ko 90 nto ngoku ngenxa yokuba ndiyasela ecaleni, ndi busy notywala ndi busy netreatment ye TB ngapha so kwafumaniseka ba andide ndiphile ncakasana. Ndaqaliswa kengoku itreatment ye ARVs, nangoku ndisabusela utywala kodwa not ngalahlobo lakuqala. Into eye yenzeka kuqala kwasweleka umkhuluwa wam ebulawa kwasesisifo sikagawulayo. Kulapho kengoku ndazama ukuthi mandizi limit etywaleni but kodwa ngama weekends ke kuyenzeka xa ndikhona apha elokshini ndidibane ne alcohol ndisele. Xa ndi sober ndiyakwazi mos ndisezingqondweni ndisober ndikhumbule ok icondom siyisebenzise icondom but xa sendinxilile ke ndiyilibale icondom. Sometime ufumanisa intoyokuba ucheri akanxilanga ndim lo unxilileyo so ndimcele ukuthi ok xa efuna sibe busy ne condom, nantsi icondom ayithathe ayifake ngokwakhe apha kubhuti (isiXhosa). I started drinking alcohol in 1997. I would go out and drink with friends in shebeens. Then I got sick in 2005 I went to the clinics and they said I have TB. They also asked me to have an HIV test. I took the test and I tested HIV positive. I'd say that I got HIV because of my drinking, because after I started drinking, we would pick up girls from the shebeen and sleep with them without condoms. We didn't care about condoms, I didn't even know that much about condoms. I just knew that I didn't want to use condoms, I wanted it (sex) straight. At first my CD4 count was 247, but it dropped to about 90 because I was drinking heavily. I was drinking alcohol while I was taking TB treatment. So the TB wasn't getting any better, and then I started ARV treatment. I still drink alcohol, but not as much as I used to. The thing is my elder brother passed away because of HIV. That's when I decided to limit my alcohol intake, but I still drink on weekends if I'm at home. When I'm sober, I always remember to use condoms. Sometimes when I'm drunk, I forget to use condoms. Sometimes I'm drunk and my girlfriend is not, if she asks that we use a condom, I give it to her and she puts it on me herself.

Pholokgolo: (SeSotho) I've been trying to stop drinking alcohol for three years now. I'm almost about to give up trying. One of the most interesting things is that every time I drink alcohol, especially if I drink seriously, the whole night or half a night, I know the following the morning I'm likely to get a blocked nose. If it's worse then I end up getting Herpes. I get to a point where I have to start disciplining myself. I know if I drink today, I shouldn't go beyond a certain point. As a person living with HIV, you must be aware that alcohol affects you. It affects your body, for instance you get sick more often and so on.

Victor: Mandla I'd like to ask you can somebody move from abusing alcohol to drinking moderately or do they just have to quit?

Mandla: In general people who are addicted have to quit completely because there's a saying which says once an addict always an addict. You can not shift from being an addict to a moderate drinker that's practically impossible, so we actually advocate for one to stop completely in order to stop the addiction.

Victor: Is it realistic to say that you advocate that people should stop, you know they need to be able to change. But we also know that alcoholism and substance abuse are so strongly linked to other social areas in our community its like poverty and unemployment. So how realistic it is for us to say because we know that we should stop, I know I shouldn't have drink on my ARVs but I do.

Pholokgolo: (SeSotho) Listen to this, last year according to Human Rights Commission, South Africa spent 40 Billion of Rands on alcohol.

Busi: Oh that's a lot of money.

Mandla: The thing is I'm sure siyabona kunama advert amaningi awotshwala. I'm sure if you drive along N1 from here to Johannesburg you'll see a thousand advertisements ngezotshwala. There are very few advertisements ezizofaka ngokuthi abantu mabayeke Utshwala ngenxa yokuthi savela sakhula sitshelwa ukuthi utshwala yibo obenza i-party ibemnandi, yibo obenza imihlangano imibutho yabantu ibemnandi Kulapho esinenkinga khona. So kuzothatha isikhathi sokuba sivume ukuthi uthswala kona ngokwako abulunganga (isiZulu). The thing is I'm sure we all see the high number of alcohol advertisements. If you drive along the N1 from here (Cape Town) to Johannesburg, you will see a thousand alcohol advertisements, but there are few advertisements that urge people to stop drinking alcohol. We grew up programmed to the idea that alcohol makes a party enjoyable, alcohol makes any social gathering enjoyable. That's where the problem lies and it's going to take a while for us to admit that alcohol is bad.

Pholokgolo: (SeSotho) Mostly you find that in the suburbs you can get things like Alcohol Anonymous. In our communities you don't get those kinds of groups. How do start one or how does it work?

Mandla: La engisebenza khona what we are doing now singena kuma communities ebantwini, sivakashela izikolo, sivakashele emsebenzini senze abathi ngama campaign senze ama awareness ukuthi utshwala buba nenkinga uma sebunje kanje nanje. Izimpawu abangazibona esikolweni zomntana osebenzisa izidakamizwa or utshwala yilezi nalezi, uma sekunjalo funani uncedo endaweni enje nenje (isiZulu). Where I work, what we are doing now is we're going into the communities. We visit schools and places of work to run awareness campaigns, telling people about the problems that come with alcohol abuse, the signs the schools must look out for in pupils to detect alcohol or drug abuse and places they can seek help if they have a problem.

Victor: Bhuti Mandla I'm sorry if I have to take us a little bit back but I still need to understand this thing of alcohol abuse, what is it? Is it an illness, is it a disease before we can decide we know that we need more support groups maybe we must first say what it is?

Mandla: Alcohol is a disease like any other disease. We classify it under diseases because it has got some signs, it has got some symptoms. Yes, it has got the infected and the affected so it's a disease on its own. It can progress to fertility if not treated.

Shalom: Ninganyakazi sizobuya khona maduzane nje. Siyanamukela futhi kuSiyayinqoba Beat It! Namhlanje sikhuluma ngotshwala nezidakamizwa nangendlela lezizinto eziwaphakamisa ngayo amathuba okuthola igciwane lesandulela ngculaza. Isidakamizwa esazwa ngokuthi yi"Tik" esiphenduke enkulu ingwadla ikakhulukazi entshonalanga Koloni akhe sibhekisise kahle. (isiZulu). Don't go away, we'll be right back. Welcome back to Siyayinqoba Beat It! Today we're talking about alcohol and drugs and how these substances increase spread of HIV. The drug known as "Tik" has become a huge problem particularly in the Western Cape, let's take a look at this insert.

Vuyo: Namhlanje sise Kenilworth Clinic sizokuva nge"Tik" addiction eyingxaki ebantwini (isiXhosa). Today we're in Kenilworth Clinic to talk about tik addiction, which has become a huge problem among communities.

Dr. Roger Meyer: "Tik" falls in the class of drugs that we regard clinically as a stimulant its crystal so it's.... but in infact derives its brought chemical from your standard cough and cold remedy. So it's a chemical, it's a stimulant and it is relatively easy to manufacture. It's in blunt that people in market didn't sell it to a larger target of younger age group, and so we find people start to use at 16-18 and in the early 20's. But nevertheless it's not focused entirely on the younger age people that's where we see it causing most of the problems. It causes chemical effects by generating a massive release of neuron transmitters are so called "feel good" neuron transmitters...in the brain and this results in those enhance sexual experiences. And gives people a sense of their own power and ability. A sadder part however of crystal morphine for those that are addicted to it and we see this with young women specifically is 2, one they become much more reckless in their sexual behaviors and therefore perhaps sometimes a little bit more promiscuous. It's sadly lot of youngsters become addicted to "tik" and find that they can't function without the "tik" result to sexual favors and sometimes end up to prostitution or to procure fans for the drug or to simply just get the drug. Because of the chemistry of "tik" and the way it creates its effect. I would discourage for people to try and experiment with it from using it recreationally because it can very rapidly knock you into a dependent cycle to need to repeat the activity. Even if one is not necessarily an addict as such.

Lady from insert: Tik maak my horny en siek ek en my man sex wil die aand tot die oggend six till six in the morning (Afrikaans) "Tik" makes me horny, then my man and I have sex from the night till the morning; six till six in the morning. One night a man stopped me and he asked me if I wanted to do business and I said yes. Then he asked me how much and I said a blowjob is R80 and sex is R150.

Shalom: Are there real problems bhuti Mandla with ilokunjana ihard drug addiction linked with HIVprevalence le esinayo lana eSouth Africa (isiZulu). That is some scary stuff there but it's got me thinking, are there real problems Mandla with hard drug addiction linked with the high HIV prevalence we have in South Africa?

Mandla: Yes akhona ama hard drugs ane link to HIV kubekhona amanye, uma ubabuza abawasebenzisayo but well it lowers their libido. But to some bazothi it actually increases their libido ukuthi bazizwe be horny befuna umuntu wesifazane or wesilisa (isiZulu). Yes there are hard drugs that have a link to HIV. Then some drugs, when you ask those who use them, they say it lowers their libido. Some will say it actually increase their libido, they feel horny and they want to have sex.

Busi: And nangaphandle kwalonto bhuti Mandla I think the other thing about ezi drugs zinjengabo ma"tik', nezinye aboma cocaine njalo-njalo is that okokuqala zi-expensive right. And ngabantwana aba besibabona phayana bangaba akebanga omnye kuzafuneka ezithengisile umzimba wakhe (isiXhosa). On top of that, I think another thing with these drugs such as "Tik", cocaine and others is that they are quite expensive. It's young people that we saw there, and if they don't steal, they may end up selling their bodies.

Mandla: And kwisikhathi esiningi i-link ibasekutheni ngesikhathi sebafuna ukuthi bathole abathi yi next fix yabo. They tend to forget ukusenzisa icondom ngoba ufuna imali eningi ehe! So uzinikela ngomzimba wakhe engasebenzisi icondom ngenxa yokuthi ufuna ukuba nemali eningi a-support i-addiction yakhe (isiZulu). That is where the biggest link comes in. When they want their next fix, they tend to forget about using condoms because they want a lot of money fast. So they sell their bodies without using condoms because they want more money in order to support their addiction.

Victor: In Europe for example heroin injecting substance abuses fueled the HIV pandemic there, but it's very different here for us. So what exactly fuels HIV in relation to substance abuse is it our behaviour?

Mandla: Yes, in our country South Africa it's risky sexual behavior because culturally and according to my own experience. South Africans abuse drugs through smoking although there are few cases of injections. We try to educate them and make them aware that HIV herpatitis can be transmittable through the sharing of needles and through blood condemination.

Busi: ...besithethe ngoku abuser kotywala nangendlela abantu abanothi bafumanae ngayo uncedo khona ukuze mhlawumbi bakwazi uku drop because of effect ebanayo ebomini babo but kengoku nalapha elantukeni kwenzeka njani because okokuqala siyayibona intoyokuba ngabantwana abaya basebancane basezengobuso elizweni but ba-hooked kwilantuka kwi"tik" nezinye iziyobisi. If mhlawumbi umntu uyayiqonda ba ndinengxaki apha and ndifuna uphuma ingaba zikhona kengoku iindlela ekwenzeka ngazo. Ndicinga fanukuba mhlawumbi urhulumente angeza nendlela ezinobalula for ba support khona ukuze bangazisebenzisi (isiXhosa). Earlier on we talked about alcohol abuse and ways in which people can get help to drop the habit because of the effect alcohol may have in their lives. How does it work here, those are young people, they have their lives ahead of them but they are hooked on "Tik" and perhaps other drugs. If they realize that they have a problem and they want to stop, are there venues they can explore? Don't you think government should come up with ways to support them so that they can stop using?

Mandla: Ungahamba either through i-local clinic yiyo ezanku linker through i-SANCA office South African National Council On Alcoholism and Drug Dependency. Besewuyaqala ke benze i-assessment babone ukuthi itreatment plan engaku suiter  wena yiyiphi (isiZulu). You can go through your local clinic, and they will link you to a SANCA office, South African National Council On Alcoholism and Drug Dependency. I'm sure there are quite number of SANCA offices in Cape Town as well as in Pretoria, KZN, Gauteng and Limpopo. They will do an assessment and work out a treatment plan that will suit you best.

Shalom: Akusizi ukutshela abantu ukuthi bangaphuzi utshwala futhi bangathathi nezidakamizwa, kepha kumele sabelane ngokuthi ukuxhaphaza utshwala nokuthatha izidakamizwa yiyona ndlela esheshayo ongathola ngayo igciwane. Kuphela konke esingakusho ukwexayisa abantu ngobungozi obukhona futhi sikhuthaze labo esebethelelekile ukuthi bathole usizo. Sibonga bakwethu, kusho lukhulu kithi ukuzwa ngani. Sinxusa ukuba nisithumele izindaba zenu nenifisa ukuphawula ngako kuleli kheli elivele kumabonakude wenu. Size sibonane ngeviki elizayo khumbula...Zivikele, uvikele nabanye. Bye, bye!(isiZulu) It's not realistic to simply tell people not to use alcohol and drugs. We must share experiences that abusing alcohol and drugs is a sure way to get HIV. All we can do is to warn people about the risks involved and encourage people already addicted to seek help. Thanks guys, we love hearing from you, drop us a line on the details on your screen now. Until next week, remember...Protect yourself and protect others! Bye Bye!

Support Group: Bye!