It's never too late to seek help, young drug users told

With the number of clients accessing drug rehabilitation programmes on the increase and costs spiralling, the country needs to find alternative financial resources apart from those provided by the government, Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech said.

"I fear that if financial help remains as it is or decreases, we might need to close some rehabilitation centres or restrict services," he said during a ceremony held at San Blas to celebrate the graduation of 18 young people between the age of 18 and 30.

A total of 481 young people sought the help of Caritas to get rid of their drug problem in the first six months of the year, while last year 556 youths sought help, a seven per cent increase over 2004's 519, he said.

Mgr Grech said this year saw a considerable increase in the number of clients seeking Caritas' help, especially following two Xarabank programmes on drug abuse.

He said more focus needed to be made on nine to 16-year-olds through a national education campaign on prevention in schools and through the use of programmes for young people.

Mgr Grech also mentioned the need for the creation of alternative entertainment places for young people. He said that the latest Youth Centre Survey showed that 72 per cent of young respondents complained about the lack of entertainment facilities.

Mgr Grech asked whether the Maltese people were losing the fight against drug traffickers. He said signs of moral decadence were being seen in a number of young people, where the behaviour of friends was taking over their individual choices and drug and alcohol abuse was considered as the only way to have fun.

However, he said, thousands of young people were seeking alternative entertainment, away from alcohol and drugs.

In a message to young people who are using drugs, Mgr Grech said "it is never too late to seek help".

He said bad habits take over our lives and remove all our values.

Mgr Grech said the recovery process of drug addicts is long and difficult, and at one moment the recovering addicts give and promise everything and the next they start undoing what they would have built.

"Those who work with these young people need to believe in each and every one of them and find the good qualities in them," he said.

He urged people to believe in the dignity and values of each person and that they can change for the better when they find people who love and believe in them.