Turn on your telly these days and you may come across any number of reality shows documenting the addict’s road to recovery – alcohol, drugs, sex, eating, they’re all edited into bite-size nuggets of so-called entertainment for us to easily digest.

The true road to recovery is often a far more difficult one, a journey that begins with the addict reaching out and asking for help. The City of Cape Town’s latest campaign to promote substance abuse treatment, Someone in Cape Town, has thus far proved highly successful by using platforms like Facebook, Tumblr and YouTube to target young people and get them thinking about the road to recovery.

‘Someone in Cape Town’ uses the social media platform to tell the story of a recovering drug addict who has successfully completed the City’s 16-week alcohol and drug treatment programme, based on the United States ‘Matrix’ model of treatment and operating from within City Health clinics. Currently, six such treatment sites are operating in Tafelsig; Town 2, Khayelitsha; Delft South; Milnerton; Parkwood and Manenberg.

‘We wanted to present a raw and honest view of the day-to-day struggles of a recovering drug addict, but also to demystify perceptions around rehabilitation by telling an individual’s story. Social media was an obvious choice for the campaign because it enables us to not only reach the youth, but also to relay the story in a way that they can relate to and then be able to share directly via Facebook, YouTube and Tumblr,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Health, Councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli.

In the seven weeks since the launch of the campaign, the ‘Someone in Cape Town’ page had attracted 10 151 likes, the various videos posted as part of the narrative were viewed 157 320 times on Facebook and YouTube, and 50 individuals reached out for assistance via the platform’s messaging function. Statistics from the City’s substance abuse helpline also reflect the increase in calls for assistance. In the 10 weeks prior to the Mayor’s launch in March, the helpline was fielding on average 17 calls a week from people seeking assistance for rehabilitation services and other substance abuse advice. In the 10 weeks since the City launched the Mayor’s campaign and ‘Someone in Cape Town’, calls to the helpline have increased to, on average, 68 per week.

The aim of the two-and-a-half month long campaign which draws to a close on 12 June 2015 is to increase the number of young people that reach out for help from the City.

‘Extensive research was carried out with recovered addicts and people running recovery programmes in Cape Town to identify common trends and insights that we could tap into. We are encouraged by the response to the campaign, but we also realise that there is a long road ahead. The idea of admitting to substance abuse and seeking help remains taboo in many homes and communities and we are trying to break through that mind-set by reaching out to younger people who tend to be more receptive to new or different ideas,’ added Councillor Mamkeli.

For residents who would like to seek assistance for a substance abuse problem that they are affected by, the toll-free help-line number is 0800 435 748. Those who want to dig deeper into the story of the campaign’s central character can visit the Facebook, Tumblr  and YouTube pages, which have been pre-populated with the events that led up to the start of the recovery programme.

As you can see from the number of people reaching out for help, the campaign (which we first covered last month) has brought the issue of seeking help to the fore, removing the stigma attached with an addict’s recovery and helping those in need reach out for the help they need. On that front the City of Cape Town can give themselves a hearty pat on the back.