Write and Publish Your Opinion, Sporting or Local News on MyZA: CLICK HERE to Proceed

MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / SA to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day

SA to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day

SA to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day

Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu in partnership with the Central Drug Authority (CDA) and the South African Network for People Who Use Drugs will on Thursday join the global community in commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day.

Observed under the theme: “Recognizing those people who go unseen”, the commemorations will be held at the JB Marks Rehabilitation centre in Potchefstroom in the North West province on Thursday. 

International Overdose Awareness day seeks to raise awareness around the silent killer that is overdose and the stigma that surrounds overdose fatalities, and that overdose deaths are preventable.  

The observance of the day is part of the department’s implementation of the National Drug Master Plan 2019-2024, which is the country’s blueprint to combat the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse that has exponentially risen to epidemic proportion. 

According to Harm Reduction International “overdose is a risk when using many psychoactive drugs, but is much common for some drugs such as opioids. It is especially common for people who use a combination of substances and those who inject drugs”.

Naloxone is known to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by helping breathing return to normal, and return a person to consciousness but is sadly underused.

From 1 September 2023, for nine consecutive days across all nine provinces, the Deputy Minister will be educating South Africans about the dangers of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD). 

FASD is a leading source of non-genetic developmental and intellectual disability globally and is usually associated with primary and secondary disabilities. South Africa has been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to have the highest reported prevalence of FASD in the world. – SAnews.gov.za

 

DikelediM
Wed, 08/30/2023 – 09:56

614 views

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu in partnership with the Central Drug Authority (CDA) and the South African Network for People Who Use Drugs will on Thursday join the global community in commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day.

Observed under the theme: “Recognizing those people who depart unseen”, the commemorations will be held at the JB Marks Rehabilitation centre in Potchefstroom in the North West province on Thursday. 

International Overdose Awareness day seeks to raise awareness around the silent killer that is overdose and the stigma that surrounds overdose fatalities, and that overdose deaths are preventable.  

The observance of the day is portion of the department’s implementation of the National Drug Master Location 2019-2024, which is the country’s blueprint to combat the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse that has exponentially risen to epidemic proportion. 

According to Harm Reduction International “overdose is a risk when using many psychoactive drugs, but is much common for some drugs such as opioids. It is especially common for people who use a combination of substances and those who inject drugs”.

Naloxone is known to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by helping breathing return to normal, and return a person to consciousness but is sadly underused.

From 1 September 2023, for nine consecutive days across all nine provinces, the Deputy Minister will be educating South Africans about the dangers of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD). 

FASD is a leading source of non-genetic developmental and intellectual disability globally and is usually associated with primary and secondary disabilities. South Africa has been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to maintain the highest reported prevalence of FASD in the world. – SAnews.gov.za

Read More at the Source

Category: Tag: , , , , , ,

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Foster Parents May Qualify for the R1,290 Foster Child Grant

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. Many South Africans raising a foster child do not know the Foster Child Grant exists. It pays R1,290 a month — more than double the R580 Child Support Grant — and it is for children placed in your care by…

  • Name of sexual offender?

    Dear Editor 653 Years Imprisonment for 119 Counts of Sexual Offences Against Children Why is this person being protected by anonymity? He has been convicted and sentenced, so please release his identity. Regards LA Morton In Response to/From: 653 Years Imprisonment for 119 Counts of Sexual Offences Against Children

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fun South African Fact: Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world and one of the planet’s 12 main energy centres, radiating magnetic, electric or spiritual energy.