| dc.description.abstract | Research suggests that substance use, particularly among adolescents may lead to increased
illegal activities as well as physical and social health consequences. Around the world, communities,
overburdened with adolescent and youth substance use, are finding ways to address this public
health threat. Using a case study based on a focus group discussion with nine founding members,
this paper reports on the case of Sibanye—a rural community coalition whose mission is to reduce
the burden of adolescent substance use on families in rural South Africa. The focus group discussions
were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Nvivo 12. This work highlights
the power of an engaged collective effort in addressing key community issues, even in rural areas
of emerging economies where health and community infrastructure may be limited. The Sibanye
coalition taps into its collective wealth of community knowledge to provide social contributions and
aesthetics to help adolescents abstain from substance use and sexual risk behaviors. These activities
offer adolescents safe places to meet each other, health education, and the ability to structure their
free time meaningfully. Engaging community residents, particularly disadvantaged groups, should
be central to any local and national strategies for promoting health and well-being. | en_US |
