'Tik bigger threat than dagga'
2008-07-23 20:14
Pretoria - While dagga is the drug most abused in South Africa, amphetamine-style stimulants like tik pose the greatest threat, said the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday.
Presenting the annual World Drug Report 2008 in Pretoria, UNODC regional representative Jonathan Lucas said that dagga had become more addictive, especially in Africa.
He said this was due to the new strain of higher-potency dagga that was being produced.
"It's very addictive and it's very dangerous."
Legal chemicals
However drugs like tik, which required precursor legal chemicals to produce, posed the greatest threat on the drugs market.
This was because law enforcement required the co-operation of pharmaceutical companies as well as the international community to monitor and prevent the use of legal chemicals in production of the drug.
He commended the South African police on its chemical monitoring programme, particularly in the Western Cape.
"It's done a fantastic job in limiting the production (of tik)."
- SAPA