MOSSEL BAY NEWS - During a conference on childhood substance abuse, related disorders and mental health recently held in Great Brak River, calls for a dedicated inpatient treatment facility in the Garden Route District were reiterated.

Denise de Beer, director of the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence’s (Sanca) Garden Route branch, presented research on inpatient treatment for substance use disorders in the Garden Route District, based on a survey conducted in November 2024.

According to the research, “communities in this region face a growing burden of substance-related harms, including rising rates of alcohol and drug dependence, associated mental health concerns, family disruption, unemployment and crime.”

Ninety-five per cent of the survey’s 442 respondents said they had been personally affected by substance abuse. At the same time, the same percentage believed that an inpatient treatment facility was urgently needed.

“Alcohol, methamphetamine (tik), and cannabis (dagga) were identified as the most common substances. Youth (18-25 years, especially males) were identified as the most vulnerable group,” the study states.

Sanca’s first recommendation is to establish a state-subsidised inpatient facility in George, with future expansion to Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn and surrounding rural areas.

Previous attempts
Talks about establishing such a rehabilitation centre in Mossel Bay and the broader Garden Route have been ongoing for several years.

In 2022, Mossel Bay Advertiser reported on community resistance to repurposing the vacant Willem van Heerden Building in Marsh Street, Mossel Bay, as an interim anti-drug day centre from which services would be provided to people struggling with substance abuse. 

Community concerns were raised during a public meeting held at the Mossel Bay Town Hall in May 2022.

At the time, community members raised concerns about the potential “unintentional consequences” of establishing such a centre in Mossel Bay’s CBD. 

These included the possible impact on tourism, further pressure on the already congested traffic in Marsh Street, and the fact that a liquor store is located across the street from the proposed treatment centre. 

As a result, the anti-drug day centre was not established.

Following the meeting, Sanca conducted its survey across the Garden Route two years later, which led to last week’s presentation in Great Brak River.

The need for an inpatient treatment facility
During her presentation, De Beer used a case study of a 14-year-old boy with an escalating addiction to tik and cannabis. His mother, who is recently unemployed, is desperate for intervention before the situation worsens.

According to the presentation, removing the barriers currently preventing intervention would mean the boy’s mother would not have to wait while the situation deteriorates. 

“We can intervene now. We have the data. We have the mandate. Let’s build the pathway,” says Sanca.

De Beer reiterated that although there are some private treatment facilities for substance use disorders in the Garden Route, waiting lists are long, services are often unaffordable, and inpatient treatment options are limited.

Patients therefore have to travel outside the Garden Route to access treatment. 

This difficulty in accessing treatment also places strain on families and affects communities as a whole, contributing to homelessness, poor mental health, and increased crime and unemployment.

Should the treatment facility become a reality, young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, as well as older adults, children and people with intellectual disabilities, would be prioritised. 

Other services offered by the facility would include family therapy, detoxification, counselling, mental health support, skills training, and youth and child programmes.

“The evidence is overwhelming: the Garden Route urgently requires a state-subsidised inpatient treatment facility integrated with community-based services. This investment will save lives, strengthen families, reduce crime and build healthier, more resilient communities,” says De Beer. 

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