Society 'has the duty to reintegrate drug victims'

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech has warned that society could be pushing rehabilitated drug users back into addiction if they were not allowed to reintegrate.

Speaking during the Youth of the Year award ceremony, organised by Oasi, a Church foundation targeting drug addiction, Mgr Grech said there had to be a system where recovered addicts would not fall back into their old ways.

"Drug dealers are like vultures, ready to exploit the weaknesses of those who are now clean and push them back into their drug habit," he said.

He called on the public and private sectors to trust these people and offer jobs to rehabilitated former drug addicts at the end of their programme.

"A society which fails to destroy the market for drugs has a duty to at least come up with measures for the social reintegration of its victims," the bishop said.

While saying that society had to rid itself of the prejudices it had against former drug users, Mgr Grech said recovered addicts had to watch out for themselves and be responsible for their actions.