The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has flagged South Africa as a key regional hub for illicit drug trafficking, underlining the need for urgent and coordinated action. And in order to address this the Department of Social Development and the Central Drug Authority are launching a week-long outreach campaign in Mpumalanga to tackle rising drug abuse. The area has recently come under the spotlight following significant drug-related arrests and the discovery of underground laboratories used in the manufacture of illicit substances. In April, law enforcement recovered R20 million worth of drug-making materials and arrested six suspects in Standerton. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Deputy Director General: Welfare Services at the Department of Social Development,  Siza Magangoe