PATRICK Maswanganyi curses the day he gave in to peer pressure and smoked nyaope.
The 27-year-old from Bela-Bela in Limpopo now wants to quit, but it’s difficult.
Patrick said he can’t go a day without smoking it. If he tries not to smoke it, he ends up feeling weak and keeps trembling for an entire day.
“Then I have no choice but to go back and smoke it again,” he said.
Patrick said it’s been seven years since he started smoking the substance. And he is not happy about how he behaves after smoking. He said: “I’m ashamed of myself and not pleased with my deeds. Once I smoke I tend to have no respect for elderly people and I terrorise community members by stealing from them.
“I’m tired of this life. I really want to quit, but it’s just hard to do it on my own. I have tried several times but I just go back and smoke. I believe if I get help from the public and go to rehab, then I have a better chance quitting for good.”
Patrick’s mother Sophie Maswanganyi (59) said she wants nothing more than to see her son quit nyaope.
Social development spokeswoman Adele van der Linde said Patrick and his friends have already given their details to the department officials in Waterberg.
