The event was hosted by the Gauteng Health and Social Development Department. This year's theme is "Global Actions for Healthy Communities without Drugs".

Toekomsrus has been identified as an area with high incidents of poverty with a minimal employment rate, low education levels and a lack of skills. This includes a high crime and teenage pregnancy rate inflicted by poverty and gangsterism which increases drug and alcohol abuse.

Community member Cecelia Bates dealt a hard blow when her 15-year-old brother died due to drugs.

"My brother was smoking dagga which made him violent," she said.

"He was in hospital for six months before his death. Doctors said the damage was in his lungs."

Toekomsrus' councillor Bernard Rooskrantz said the main cause of the high substance abuse among the youth was lack of facilities.

"The lack of recreational facilities doesn't leave much to entertain the youth," he said.

"Our stadium is vandalised, the site where the multipurpose centre was meant to be built stands with an open hole." - monnakgotlam@sowetan.co.za