Uwarunkowania polityki narkotykowej Republiki Południowej Afryki  w sferze redukcji popytu

Katarzyna Tkaczyk-Rymanowska

doi:10.31261/PPK.2026.10.01.05

Published: 2026-04-27

2026

The determinants of South Africa’s drug policy in the area of demand reduction

Katarzyna Tkaczyk-Rymanowska

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.31261/PPK.2026.10.01.05

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of drug policy in South Africa, highlighting the change from a punitive, prohibition-based “war on drugs” paradigm to a health-based, harm-reduction, and human-rights-oriented model. It situates drug use within South Africa’s socio-historical context marked by apartheid, inequality and social exclusion, which shape patterns of psychoactive substance use. The analysis discusses the impact of the 2018 Constitutional Court judgment and the 2024 Cannabis for Private Purposes Act, along with the increasing importance of harm reduction strategies. The article identifies key challenges, including insufficient funding, institutional fragmentation and persistent stigma. The conclusions emphasize that a sustainable paradigm alteration requires integrated health, social, and legal responses, as well as a transformation of public narratives surrounding drug use.

Keywords:

drug policy in South Africa , harm reduction , human rights , decriminalization

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Tkaczyk-Rymanowska, K. (2026). The determinants of South Africa’s drug policy in the area of demand reduction. Problemy Prawa Karnego, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.31261/PPK.2026.10.01.05

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2026
Published: 2020-10-09

ISSN: 0208-5577

eISSN: 2353-9712

10.31261/PPK

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