"Ganja to Sugars" The History of substance abuse by Indian Youth in the working class township of Chatsworth, Durban.

This paper is based on research carried out into substance abuse in the predominantly Indian township of Chatsworth in KwaZulu Natal. The substances primarily abused until the 1980s were dagga and cane spirit, an extract of sugar cane. Post 1980 ushered in an era of experimentation with concoctions of older and new drugs, with highly addictive and destructive mixtures wreaking havoc in the lives of the younger generation in particular. This drug is known as "sugars". The paper attempts to bring out what observers saw on a regular basis through common association; how consumers went through the motions in acquiring their material, and the symbolism that contributes towards an identity build-up among consumers of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]