National drugs policy to be finalised in coming months

A national drugs policy is being prepared by the National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Dependencies and should be finalised in the coming months, Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina said yesterday.

This will be followed by a policy on alcohol, which is likely to be in hand next year.

The national reports on the drug situation, the second of which was launched yesterday, should create a good basis for the policy, Mrs Cristina said.

Compiled by the National Focal Point for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the 2005 national report compares closely with the previous year's, focal point head Anna Girard said. The report, which analyses 2004 data collected from various agencies and departments, shows that the absolute majority - over 86 per cent - of clients in treatment abuse heroin.

Cocaine is the most popular secondary drug for heroin users, with 32.2 per cent of clients in treatment using the drug.

With an approximate rate of six heroin users per 1,000 people, Malta ranks on the higher side among European countries, indicating that heroin use is still a major problem for such a small country, the report notes.

The 2004 data show that the greatest number of clients in treatment - 35 per cent - came from the southern harbour region, followed by the northern harbour region (32 per cent).

The rate of clients in the southern harbour region is the highest at six per 1,000 people, down to four per 1,000 in the northern harbour region and three per 1,000 in the north western and south eastern regions. Gozo has the lowest rate of clients in treatment (0.6 clients per 1,000 population).

Regarding Gozo's figures, the report says these raise a number of questions and asks whether they can be taken at face value to mean that the number of Gozitans with drug problems requiring treatment is far lower than that for Malta. It also queries whether social stigma is having an effect on the statistics.

The mean age of clients in treatment at the end of 2003 and 2004 stood at 28 while the median age was 27. Drug treatment agencies treated 1,525 cases in 2004, Ms Girard said. The report estimates that there are 1,597 daily heroin users.

Malta's infectious disease rate is low when compared to most EU countries and the report points toward the widespread use of the government service for the provision of needle and syringe distribution for drug users.

The report shows that cannabis is the most popular drug. According to data from the Population Survey 2001, more than 35 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and around 30 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds reported knowing someone who smoked cannabis. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction estimates that around 20 per cent of 15 to 64-year-olds have tried cannabis at least once in their lifetime.

Second in line came ecstasy, with around 30 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds and more than 20 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds knowing someone who takes the drug. Cocaine ranked third, followed by heroin, LSD and amphetamines.

Mrs Cristina stressed the importance of having scientifically sound data about the drug situation. She said the policy remained one of zero tolerance toward drug use and abuse, adding that it was imperative to continue offering the necessary services.

Drug use, in all its guises, in effect robbed people of their potential to lead a better quality of life in all its aspects - in society, at work and at home, National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Dependencies chairman Richard Muscat said.

The report indicates the importance of embarking on an investigation of recreational drugs.