About addiction

Drugs and alcohol change your mood and behaviour, and can seriously harm your physical and mental health. It’s easy to lose self-control and slip into addiction, so if you suspect you have a problem, it is best to seek help immediately. Continue reading below to better understand your situation and find out how to get the help you need.

Causes of addiction

All drugs, including alcohol, are addictive as they stimulate your brain’s reward system – this means that after your body gets used to certain drugs or alcohol, you feel ‘rewarded’ by taking them. This is the ‘high'. These highs can also lead to long-term changes in the way your brain works untill it's eventually very difficult to stop taking drugs or drinking.

Often, even when an addict stops abusing drugs or alcohol, the symptoms remain. For example, tik (methamphetamine) addicts who experience paranoia, hallucinations and delusions when ‘high’ often suffer from these symptoms years after they have stopped using the drug.

Preventing addiction

There is a lot you can do to stop yourself from turning to drugs and alcohol, including educating yourself on the risks, finding positive alternatives to drugs and alcohol, and reaching out for support when you need it.

Below you can find some helpful tips on how to avoid becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol.  

Avoid addictive substances

• Educate yourself about the effects of drugs and alcohol, the risk of using them and what help is available to you.
• Make better choices about your use of mood-altering substances, such as relaxing and having a good time without necessarily using alcohol, cigarettes or other mood-altering substances.
• If you still have questions, do some independent online research or speak to your local social services professional.

Report illegal activity
Help to stop the illegal supply of drugs and/or alcohol in your community.

Look after your body
Fun, active hobbies also offer a positive escape from peer pressure or a difficult home or neighbourhood environment.The City has a number of free sport and recreation programmes and facilities like skate parks and community centres that provide a safe space for healthy, active fun. See all of our recreational facilities here.

Care for your mind
By following your curiosity, getting involved in your community and developing your skills, it becomes easier to say no to addictive substances. See the many opportunities that the City of Cape Town offers you to develop your skills.

Get involved
Here are some ways you can get involved in your community:

• Become a neighbourhood safety officer or school resource officer.
• Join your community policing forum.
• Join your neighbourhood watch.
• Volunteer for a community initiative.

Get help

Recovery is possible and it is never too late to receive treatment. There are a number of ways you can get help:

• Contact the City of Cape Town’s 24/7 toll-free alcohol and drug helpline on 0800 4357 4 8 (0800 help 4 u).
• Go straight to one of our clinics that offers Matrix-certified drug and alcohol outpatient support programmes. To find a Matrix-certified clinic, please visit our clinics listing page and select the 'Drug and alcohol outpatient treatment' filter.

Download the Substance Abuse Booklet courtesy of the Western Cape Government. It contains detailed information on treatment centres in the Western Cape, as well as plenty of useful information on substance abuse.

Document downloads

• 1. Free Drug and Alcohol Treatment Pamphlet

     07/11/2019, Pamphlet - 120.7 KB

  2. Sport and Recreation Department Combined Programme Schedules

     01/01/2016, Schedule - 23.5 MB

  3. Substance Abuse Treatment Matrix Sites Contact List

     07/07/2025, Contact list - 118.3 KB