1. Broad Proposal for The Addiction Action Campaign NPO For a comprehensive national addiction research project. Prepared for: Warren Whitfield Prepared by: Kim Krone
26 February 2009

2. Background Addiction is a disease for which medicine has no cure.
Yet, it is preventable and treatable.
Addiction does not discriminate between age, race, or sex. It does not care what religion you are, how much money you have, or where you live.
However, certain areas seem more afflicted by addiction, predominantly drugs, alcohol, tobacco and gambling addiction, than others.
While treatment is available in the form of anonymous organisations and treatment centres, not everyone suffering from a form of addiction has knowledge of or access to these resources.
The Addiction Action Campaign is a non-profit organisation, passionate about creating the awareness or the extent of addiction, what can be done to stop it, and how the harm being caused can be reduced.
[Project AAC]

3. Where to from here?
Nielsen has been approached to carry out a comprehensive research study, to determine the penetration of addiction in South Africa.
This study will undertake to:
Assess availability and consumption of legal substances, such as alcohol, cigarettes, prescription and over the counter medication.
Understand the proliferation of addiction in South Africa.
Determine what the public’s current usage and awareness is surrounding legal and illegal substances, and addiction and addictive behaviour.
Gauge how widespread the public’s knowledge is of addiction levels, and what avenues are open to those suffering from a substance abuse problem, or from an dependency pertaining to other, less mainstream addictions.
[Project AAC]
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4. Where to from here?
In order to receive the most comprehensive and detailed information on addiction in South Africa, all aspects of addiction will be examined, such as:
Usage of medication, prescription and over the counter
Sex addiction
Gambling
Pornography
Alcohol
Illegal Drugs
Smoking
Shopping
Eating Disorders
The Internet
[Project AAC]
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5. Retail Measurement Sciences
Proposed Methodology
A multi-faceted approach is necessary to cover all aspects of this topic.
Will provide data on sales figures and distribution figures
for legal substances, such as alcohol, tobacco and
over-the-counter medication. This data will also show
how sales figures have changed over recent years, and
which regions are consuming the most.
Retail Measurement Sciences
Will speak to the experts – treatment counsellors and
Psychologists, pharmacists and doctors, to assess proliferation
of addiction, options, barriers to treatment, and patient
awareness and understanding.
Qualitative Research
(expert interviews)
Will speak to South Africans, across all regions and race groups,
To understand awareness, perceptions and attitudes towards
addiction, as well as drivers to addictive behaviour and barriers
Towards seeking help.
Qualitative Research
(focus groups)
[Project AAC]
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6. Proposed Methodology
A multi faceted approach is necessary to cover all aspects of this topic.
Will provide a quick, efficient nationally representative overview
on current usage and awareness.
Omnibus Study
Will take the information and drivers gleaned from the Qualitative
Phase to quantify and segment usage and awareness per segment,
such as region, age, race, gender, LSM and Income.
Quantitative Study
Will gather information on the various types of addiction, to better
understand the scope of it, statistics, overseas trends, as well
as year-on-year trends.
Desk Research
The Omnibus, Qualitative Focus Groups and Quantitative Study will include Teenagers, age 13+, into the study (with parental permission).
[Project AAC]
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7. How will this help The Addiction Action Campaign and ultimately, South Africa?
RMS data will show how consumption of legal substances has increased or decreased, volume of consumption, and sales per region.
Qualitative data will give insight, from an expert and layman perspective, on how rampant addiction is in today’s society, socio-economic pressure, peer pressure, media influences, what drivers prompt addictive behaviour or misuse of substances, perceptions towards addictions and legal and illegal substances, and knowledge of and awareness of the dangers associated with addiction or addictive behaviour, and what treatment options are available.
Omnibus study will give a quick measure of nationally representative South Africa, what their usage and attitude is around legal substances (alcohol, tobacco, medications, food), what their knowledge and awareness is of illegal substances (drugs) as well as behaviours (gambling, pornography, sex addiction.)
A national Segmentation Study will drill down and segment across regions, age, race, gender, LSM and income, all aspects pertaining to addiction.
All respondents will be assured of utmost confidentiality
* sensitivity of question may prohibit
[Project AAC]
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8. How will this help The Addiction Action Campaign and ultimately South Africa?
From this information, The Addiction Action Campaign will be able to formulate the most effective strategy in increasing awareness and knowledge around addiction.
The data will:
Pinpoint problem areas,
Measure level of knowledge amongst differing LSM, race and income groups,
Identify drivers towards potential addictive behaviour,
Show proliferation of addiction in today’s society,
Determine what consumers are lacking, and what they require to act against abuse.
[Project AAC]
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9. Costs Broad costs only
To purchase data on the cigarette, alcohol, gambling and
over-the-counter medication categories:
R 50,000 excl Vat
Retail Measurement Data
Expert Interviews (30 experts and 20 pharmacists and doctors)
R 236,000 excl Vat
Focus Group Discussions (30, national and rural), age 13+
R 643,000 excl Vat
Qualitative Study
Omnibus Study
n=2500, national urban only, age 13 years +
R 170,000 excl Vat
n=3500, national urban and rural, age 13 years +
R 1,500,000 excl Vat
Quantitative Study
Desk Research
Desk research on addiction statistics, and year-on year trends
R 5,000 excl Vat
Total investment for all research options: R 2,604,000 excl Vat
These costs are not final and may be subject to change.
[Project AAC]
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10. Client Services Executive Direct Tel: (011) 495 3157
Kim Krone
Client Services Executive
Direct Tel: (011)
[Project Gazebo – Qualitative phase findings]
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