'n Ontleding van die gebruik van dwelmmiddels en sekere gevolge daarvan, met klem op cannabis sativa, by 'n monster jongmans opgeroep vir militere diensplig

Abstract

Afrikaan: 'n Ontleding van die patrone van gebruik van dwelmmiddels deur 'n mon- ster 448 jong Blanke Suid-Afrikaanse mans bet getoon dat Cannabis sativa

verreweg die algemeenste middel van misbruik was; nie minder as 443 (98,83 persent) was Cannabisafhanklik nie. Cannabis is enkele middel deur 137 (30,2 persent) gebruik. 306 pasiente (68,3 persent) bet Cannabis sowel as antler dwelmmiddels gebruik. Die tweede middel in rangorde was amfetamien (33,0 persent). As derde middel bet LSD (30,6 persent), met fenfluramien (25,7 persent) as vierde gevolg. Onder algemene misbruikte middels is opiaatbevattende

boesmidde1s (22, 1 persent), alkobol (27,4 persent), rou opium (21,4 per- sent) (alboewel daar twyfel is omtrent bierdie middel), inademingsmiddels

(20,3 persent), propielbeksedrien (16,9 persent), barbiturate (15,9 per- sent), Datura stramonium (8,3 persent), "Mandrax" (7,8 persent), morfien

( 7, 1 persent), bensbeksol ( 6, 7 per sent) , kokaien ( 5, 1 per sent), "Red upon" (4,9 persent), heroen (3,8 persent), bensodiasepiene en analgetika (3,6 persent).

Die graad van Cannabisafhanklikheid was swaarder as by en1ge ander soort- gelyke ondersoek in Suid-Afrika of in die buiteland tot dusver bekend.

Nie minder nie as 38,2 persent het Cannabis onder optimale omstandighede ten minste daagliks gebruik.

Meer as 'n kwart van die dwelmmiddelafhanklikes het optimaal meer as 115 g (+- 4 onse) rou Cannabis per week gebruik. "Durban Poison" en "Rooibaars" 1s die twee plaaslike Cannabis-soorte wat · voorkeur geniet het. Die rookrnetode is deur feitlik al die Cannabisafhanklikes bo inname deur die spysverteringstelsel verkies. Die gewildste rookmetodes is d.m.v. 'n "sjaloempie" (pyp) in 21, 1 persent, die "bottelnek" in 14,3 persent en sigaret in 30,8 persent. Slegs 3,6 persent het enige dwelmmiddel ingespuit.

Hoe meer Cannabis gebruik is (bepaal in terme van massa gerook of gereeld- heid van gebruik), hoe groter was die neiging om ook ander dwelmmiddels

te gebruik. Tydens die ondersoektydperk wat gestrek het van 1 Januarie 1971 to 31

Augustus 1973, is bepaal dat aanvanklike veranderings in dwelmmiddelpa- trone ingetree het. Cannabis-gebruik het geneig om 'n meer bimodale ver- spreiding te toon; met 'n neiging na swaarder of ligter afhanklikheid.

Die gebruik van amfetamien het vanaf 56 persent na 24,8 persent gedaal,

maar die gebruik van fenfluramien, propielheksedrien, bensheksol, bensodiasepiene en "Mandrax", het onder andere onlangs vermeerder. Plaasvervanging word gepostuleer.

'n Ondersoek van die monster het getoon dat 58 persent self (vrywilliglik) aangemeld het vir behandeling, terwyl 16 persent weens besit van

dagga verwys is.

Nuuskierigheid is die belangrikste enkele etiologiese faktor in die ont- staan van die probleem (43,75 persent), maar portuurgroepinvloede, permis- s1ewe lewenspatroon, 'n soektog na verligting van onderliggende psigiatriese simptome soos angs en depressie, is ook belangrike faktore wat die ontstaan en voortgesette gebruik van dwelmmiddels aan die hand gewerk bet.

English: An analysis of the pattern of drugs used by a sample of 448 young White

South African men revealed that Cannabis sativa was by far the most commonly used, with dependence in no less than 443 (98,83 percent) of the

sample. The severity of their dependence on Cannabis was greater than .in

any other previously published study. Over thirty eight percent (38, 17 per- cent) had regularly used Cannabis under optimal conditions daily or more

frequently or were using 71 g or more of dried Cannabis plant per week. While 306 (68,3 percent) abused Cannabis as well as other drugs, 137 (30,2 percent) were exclusively dependent on Cannabis on its own. The exclusively Cannabis dependent sample were less dependent on Cannabis than the sample of mixed drug takers. Conversely there was a significant relationship between heavier Cannabis dependence and multiple drug abuse. The second most frequently abused drug was amphetamine (33,0 percent), the third most commonly abused drug was LSD (30,6 percent), followed by fenfluramine (25,7 percent) opiate containing anti-tussives (22, 1 percent) alcohol (21,4 percent), inhalents (20,3 percent), opium (21,4 percent) propylhexadrine (16,9 percent), barbiturates (15,9 percent), benzodiazepines (3,6 percent), "Mandrax" (7,8 percent) and non-Narcotic analgesics (3,6

percent). With the exception of fenfluramine (25,7 percent), propylhexedrine (16,9 percent), benzhexol (6,9 percent) and ephedrine (4,9 percent),

all of the drugs were generally reported by other researchers of epidemic Western teenage drug abuse. in attempt to determine the premorbid personality and other premorbid psychiatric disorder revealed that personality disorder predominated (60,3 percent), with psychopathy present in almost half of the sample

(41,5 percent), although psycho-neurosis (16,1 percent) and mental deficiency or subnormality (10,6 percent) were well represented. No premorbid pathology was found in 13,1 percent.

Etiological factors were evaluated and tended to indicate the important

role of curiosity (42,7 percent) as well as adolescent per group influences, permissive life patterns, rejection of authority and relief from

underlying psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Psychiatric evaluation was performed on a longitudinal basis, in the main, during residential observation and treatment in a specialized unit. Certain psychiatric sequelae were demonstrated in 62,5 percent of the sample which are attributed to· drug dependence in general, and, to a large extent, to the use of Cannabis in particular.

Organic syndromes in which motivation, concentration or memory were impaired occurred in 53,0 percent of the total sample .

An amotivational syndrome occurred in 26,1 percent, concentration impairment in 25,6 percent and a dysmnesic syndrome in 20,2 percent.

Other organic syndromes of short duration were diagnosed i.e. toxic psychosis ( 8, 3 percent), withdrawal syndrome (4, 5 percent) and flashbacks

(7,2 percent). Affective disorder occurred in 36,4 percent, anxiety reactions, including

panic attacks, were found in 23,5 percent while a depressive illness occured in 25,2 percent.