SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT RAISES AWARENESS AGAINST DRUG OVERDOSE IN KHUMA, MATLOSANA

By DSD News.

• The Department of Social Development will host an anti-drug and overdose awareness programme in Khuma today as part of International Overdose Awareness Day.
• The campaign highlights the dangers of opioids and the heightened risk of overdose when multiple psychoactive substances are combined.
• Government, NGOs, Local Drug Committees, and communities are urged to unite in building awareness and creating compassionate, informed responses to prevent avoidable deaths.

The Department of Social Development will take its anti-substance abuse campaign to Phillemon Masinga Stadium in Khuma, Matlosana, North West Province, on Friday, 29 August. The programme is themed “One Big Family Driven by Hope” and forms part of the global observance of International Overdose Awareness Day, commemorated annually at the end of August.

This international campaign seeks to educate communities about the dangers of overdose, its stigma, and associated fatalities, while spreading the central message that overdose deaths are preventable.
One of the key concerns highlighted is the growing misuse of opioids. These psychoactive drugs carry a particularly high risk of dependence and overdose compared to substances such as cannabis and nicotine. The danger increases significantly when users combine multiple psychoactive substances, or when drugs are injected.

The department stressed that addressing the overdose crisis requires the active participation of multiple stakeholders. Communities, government departments, local drug committees, and Non-Governmental Organisations all have a critical role to play in building awareness, advocating for change, and supporting those at risk.

Drug use and overdose, the Department noted, is a complex social challenge. It demands not only coordinated government action and community engagement, but also a compassionate, informed, and collective response to ensure that lives are protected and futures are preserved.