The national policy of drug abuse management in schools in South Africa: Unknown and unimplemented

Background: The increasing prevalence of substance abuse among at-school youth calls for the consistent use of available policies that guide interventions to combat the scourge, and so enable policy reviews and amendments to improve interventions. The National Policy of Drug Abuse Management in Schools in South Africa was published in 2002, but the extent to which it is implemented in schools has not been determined. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the implementation of the National Policy of Drug Abuse Management in Schools in South Africa. Methodology: A qualitative design was used to collect data through in-depth interviews from 21 members of School management teams in a school district in North West Province, South Africa. Results: The National Policy of Drug Abuse Management in Schools is not known by any of the school management team members, and thus not implemented. The schools also lack written policies of their own that they deal with drug abuse matters in the school environment. Conclusion: Lack of knowledge about the National Policy of Drug Abuse Management in Schools, as well as absence of school specific policies on drugs depict a concerning gap in efforts to combat substance abuse among learners.