Rising crime and drug use throughout South Africa over the past decades has led to an increased focus on the relationship between crime and the abuse of various substances. Such linkages have been explored in a number of countries through a range of studies. In 1987, the Unites States National Institute of Justice established a Drug Use Forecasting programme, which attempted not only to forecast trends in drug use, but to provide statistically accurate information that would inform policy impacting on both crime and the control of drugs and drug abuse prevention programmes. Due to the success of the programme, in 1997 it was expanded and redesigned with an increased focus on the methodology and statistical validity of the forecasts produced.

The programme was renamed the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Programme (ADAM). The revisions in the sampling procedure allowed for the ability to directly compare and contrast the various participating sites. In 1998, similar programmes were established in a variety of different countries. To date, England, Chile, Australia, and Scotland have all successfully established the programme, together forming the International ADAM, or I-ADAM programme.

In 1996, a small feasibility study was conducted in the Hillbrow police station in Johannesburg by the South African Police Service's Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIAC) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). Based on a sample of 90 arrestees interviewed at the police station, a 92% response rate was reported for the face-to-face interview, and a 83% compliance rate for the urine specimen request, both of which are well within an acceptable range for statistical analysis. Urine testing was, however, not actually undertaken in this feasibility study.

This study inspired the establishment of a South African Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Project (SA-ADAM). The project was an initiative funded by the Department of Arts, Culture, Science, and Technology. A research consortium was formed, comprised of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and supported by the SAPS Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIAC). The SA-ADAM project consisted of three components:

The data derived from the SA-ADAM programme serves a number of purposes. It allows for statistically valid linkages between crime and drugs to be established, contributes to the depth of existing knowledge on drug usage and habits within the country, provides an effective policy tool, and allows for the design and implementation of more effective interventions. Further, it provides the basis for more informed handling of drug-affected arrestees on the part of the police.

Aims and methods

The aims of the 3-Metros Arrestee Study were to:

Gain a greater understanding of the relationship between alcohol/drug use and crime


Increase knowledge of the prevalence of HIV in a high-risk population


Inform health policy and the provision of health service to prisoners


Inform crime and drug prevention policy at a local, provincial and national level


Assess the feasibility of implementing and sustaining an ADAM project in South Africa.

The 3-Metros study was undertaken over two years, with three data collection periods at six-month intervals, namely August/September 1999, February/March 2000 and August/September 2000. Four sites were selected in Cape Town (Bellville5, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Sea Point), three sites in Johannesburg (Hillbrow, Jabulani, Kempton Park), and two sites in Durban (CR Swart and Phoenix).6 Each site was selected based on arrestee flow data for the previous twelve months, which was collected prior to the study by the CIAC. A timeframe for fieldwork was established, and tended to depend on the individual station routines. A random sample was drawn from the cell register. Data on the arrestee flow during the study period at each station were collected by the field teams. These data were later used to weight the survey data to ensure a valid representation of the arrestees that were detained during the course of the fieldwork. The data were weighted by police station and major offence category (i.e., violent crime, property crime, drug/alcohol-related crime or 'other' crime). Weighted and unweighted percentages typically varied very little (<1%). A total of 2 859 respondents agreed to be interviewed. The sample size at each station is listed in the Appendix.

Participation in the study was voluntary, and anonymity assured. A consent form was signed by each respondent. The option of providing a urine sample was presented to each respondent, which, assuming consent, was collected following the interview and sent to laboratories for testing. Two specimens were collected from each respondent giving consent: the first was tested for a range of drugs (Cannabis, Mandrax, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, and Opiates)7; the second was tested separately for HIV. Table 1 presents a summary of those arrestees who were approached and those who gave consent for the two urinalysis tests. Arrestees who were under the age of 18 as well as those who were deemed unfit due to extreme intoxication from the use of alcohol, drugs or medications and persons who were considered at the time of the interview to be so mentally ill or violent as to put the interviewers' safety at risk were excluded from the study.


Fieldworkers were trained in the administration of the questionnaire and urine sample collection. Security for interviewers was provided by police officers that remained in the vicinity, but out of hearing, of the interview. A secure interview facility was arranged with the individual station commanders.

The 3-Metros Arrestee Study questionnaire was based on US/UK questionnaires and was modified for local conditions. There were 11 sections:

administrative information (completed prior to interview)


demographic information


source of income


arrest history


current arrest information


profile of substance use


purchasing of drugs


other drugs experienced


information about new drugs on the streets


firearms and perceptions of crime


HIV/AIDS and sexual health.

A more detailed set of questions relating to the purchasing of drugs was administered to arrestees in the Durban sample during Phase 1 of the project. This section was however modified for Phase 2, with all three sites using the same questionnaire, as the extra questions asked of arrestees in Durban during Phase 1 did not prove to be particularly valuable. During Phase 3 the questionnaire did not change from Phase 2.

Following each phase of interviewing, feedback was provided to the individual police stations, as well as provincial police management, in the form of oral presentations and written reports.

Table 1: Arrestee consent