Interviews and reports
ACTIVITY 4 Did you know?
Dagga is the South African name for
marijuana, cannabis, weed or pot.
Read the following interview that was adapted from the Internet and then answer the questions. DAGGA ISN’T JUST A HARMLESS PLANT
Most teens believe that marijuana isn’t addictive, but Dave has experienced otherwise. Trying pot in high school soon led to an addiction that was ruining his
life. He was smoking a few times a day, buying and selling it to friends and losing his mother’s trust. In this interview, Dave explains why marijuana isn’t just a harmless plant.
1. WHEN DID YOU FIRST TRY POT? I smoked it for the first time in Grade 9 at a friend’s birthday party. I knew they were going to smoke pot there. It wasn’t a peer pressure situation, because I had made up my mind beforehand that I wanted to try it.
2. WHY DID YOU TRY IT? I was curious and I was looking for a new experience. I got high on the atmosphere around drugs. Being accepted was also a big part of my using.
3. HOW OFTEN DID YOU SMOKE? I smoked a couple of times a month. I was in a youth group and one night about half of us got high together. We got caught and were kicked out of the group. I then stopped smoking until the holiday before I started college.
4. WHAT HAPPENED AT COLLEGE? On the first day at college I got high with a new friend in my class. After this, I got high every day that week. Again, acceptance was a big thing. I had decided beforehand to mix with students who love to party because it would be a great way to meet friends. I never thought I would smoke every day – just on weekends for fun. But eventually I needed more and more to feed my addiction. I used my own money to buy drugs, but the more drugs I used, the faster my money ran out.
5. WHEN DID YOU START DEALING? At the beginning of the new semester I started to deal as everyone was too lazy to get stuff. I had a connection with a dealer, so I became a drug dealer – this time to make money. It continued for six months where I would pick up half a kilogram of dagga a week.
6. HOW DID ALL THIS AFFECT YOU? I started to do worse at college and each time I set my standards lower. The worse my academic results, the more drugs I took not to think about it. And then, one night, out of the blue, my mother confronted me.
7. I THINK IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT COULD’VE HAPPENED TO YOU, DON’T YOU? Yes, you’re right. My mother said that she knew I was using and dealing and she wanted me to stop. I was in a corner and realised that if I didn’t stop, drugs would ruin my life. I admitted that I needed help and she contacted our pastor who introduced me to a support group. It was not easy, but I was determined to stop. I’ve been clean for almost two years now.
8. DO YOU REGRET THE DAY YOU STARTED SMOKING DAGGA? Yes, I do. I wasted a lot of time, energy, money and the quality of my life.
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD YOU NOT STOPPED DRUGGING AND DEALING? I may have ended up a criminal. Drug addicts will do anything to feed their habit. I am very grateful for the support I received. Addicts must know that there’s hope and help out there.
(568 words) (Adapted from
www.youcanbereal.com)
FutureManagers
47
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