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Reducing harm, suffering from drugs is key: Professor

A drug user with drugs
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A professor from the University of Pretoria says substance abuse continues to be difficult to fight to due to lack of understanding of the threat in local communities.

Professor Jannie Hugo, who works with community outreach programmes, has been speaking at the City of Tshwane’s two day symposium on drug and substance abuse.

Hugo believes reducing harm and suffering from drugs is key to fighting the scourge

“I think one thing that is a problem is that we often have different messages. The one message is clean up and lock-up, chase away and the other message is let us understood and reduce the harm. I think what is necessary is we need to be more clear about what is possible in harm reduction, how can we assist people and families affected by substances, how can you reduce their suffering and those messages then become clear throughout the communities.”

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