Impact of methamphetamine on a township in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND: South Africa's Western Cape has experienced a dramatic increase in methamphetamine (“meth”) use. Our study explored local impressions of the impact of meth use in an urban township in Cape Town, consisting of both Black and Coloured residents. METHODS: We conducted individual in-depth interviews with 35 females and 16 males who were regular attendees of alcohol venues. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. A grounded theory approach was used to identify themes related to the impact of meth use. RESULTS: Coloured respondents were most likely to talk about the impact of meth. One third of Coloured respondents mentioned personal meth use and an additional one third mentioned meth use by a close friend or relative. At an individual level, respondents reported that meth use had effects on mental and physical health, social integration, economic well-being, and increased rates of alcohol consumption to offset meth-related “highs”. At an interpersonal level, respondents reported that meth use contributes to physical and sexual violence as well as increased rates of sexual risk behavior, particularly through transactional sex relationships. Respondents described how meth use leads to intra-family conflict, poor birth outcomes and neglect of children. At a community level, respondents linked meth to increased rates of crime and violence, which undercut community cohesion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the need for interventions to prevent meth use and mitigate the impact on individuals, families and communities. Given that meth use is often used in conjunction with alcohol, alcohol serving venues may be appropriate sites for such interventions.