Sixty-two young people have died from drug overdoses in the past 15 years and there appears to be no let up in the consumption of drugs, Caritas Director Mgr Victor Grech said this evening.
Speaking at the graduation of a group of 22 young men and women who have completed a rehabilitation programme at San Blas, Mgr Grech said drugs remained accessible and there were hundreds of children and youths who were taking them.
"The solution should not be sought in liberalisation of drugs or in the decriminalisation of cannabis, unless we want Malta to become a Mecca for drug addicts".
Furthermore, Mgr Grech said, he believed in rehabilitation rather than incarceration for drug addicts.
His biggest concern, Mgr Grech said, was how, for many youths, drugs and alcohol had become a major part of their recreation, especially during weekends. This was a culture of alienation and escapism.
Many took trips from which they did not return.
He noted that according to the latest Espad figures, the consumption of alcohol among 16-year-olds was 86% in the past year when the European average was 79%.
Regular use of inhalants in Malta was 14% when it was 9% in Europe.
Drunkenness over a 30-day period was 20% in Malta and 17% in Europe.
Was society as a whole to blame for not taking an early stand against this threat, or as this a case of ignoring the problem because 'this will not happen to me?
Drug dependence, Mgr Grech said, was a complex issue and an addict's decision to stop was difficult because an addict was overcome by compulsion which affected his capacity to take responsible decisions.
Rehabilitation was also no easy process, because it not only meant stopping dependence on drugs, but changing a lifestyle so that the person could function in a responsible, productive manner in the family and society.
Mgr Grech argued that treatment did not always need to be voluntary in order to be effective. Motivation was part of the process and not necessarily something that was achieved as soon as a person sought help. Recovery was a process and not an event.
647 RECEIVING TREATMENT
He said that according to the Caritas Treatment Indicator for 2011, 647 people were receiving treatment last year of whom 87.5% were men and the rest were women. This was 5% up on 2010 and 24.9% up on 2004.
It appeared that young people were seeking help from a younger age.
The age of those receiving treatment varied from 12 to 54 but the mode age was 27.
Most of the clients (39%) came of their own free will, 32% were referred by their families, 18% by churches and parishes and 11% by friends. They came from all over Malta and Gozo but the biggest group, 40%, were from the Southern harbour region, followed by 28% from the Northern harbour region.
57% were unemployed, 30% had a job, 4% were students and the rest were inactive.
Last year, 72% of the clients completed their rehabilitation process, a high rate for Malta.
Mgr Grech congratulated and heaped praise on the former addicts.
He said the certificate they were receiving did not erase their police record. Nor did it remove the court cases which they may have had pending for years, with the risk that they might end up back in prison. Justice, in his view, needed to be served within a reasonable time, and it had to be accessible.
However, this certificate meant that these people had realised their mistakes and turned the corner.
SOCIETY MUST NOT CLOSE DOORS
Society now needed to ensure that they did not face closed doors.
The Maltese people were rightly generous when they helped people suffering medical conditions but there was not much compassion for those recovering from drug addiction.
Many argued that those youths should have known what they were going in for. True, Mgr Grech said, those youths were not blind, but drug dependence was itself a disease which required treatment and a lot of love, dedication and care.
These young people should not be sidelined, but they should be given space in people's hearts to become the best.
Concluding, Mgr Grech said he was urging society to promote the culture of life in its families and schools. Many young people were not appreciating the truth, love, and the beauty of life.
The family was the cradle of love and values. Therefore, society should do whatever it could to promote stable marriage and united families. No family should be denied its basic needs and services.
Mgr Grech also pleaded for adequate funding for rehabilitation services. He hoped there would not come a time when some care and rehabilitation centres had to close for lack of funds.
PRESIDENT RAISES QUESTIONS
The certificates were handed out by President George Abela who in a speech agreed with Mgr Grech's comments that society should not consider the decriminalisation of drugs.
He said the battle against drugs was far from won.
"May say, even on the media, that whoever wants to buy drugs knows where to go and who to seek. If that is the case, many ask, then how does trafficking continue in this open manner? If the traffickers are known to those who take drugs in such a small country, then how do they manage to continue this shameful trade? Many ask how, even in the relatively closed and controlled environment of the Corradino Correctional Facility, it is said that drug trafficking exists?"
The President thanked Caritas and all those involved in helping drug addicts. He underlined the importance of family values and education and suggested that Malta should adopt the Dutch Exodus programme where half way houses are opened so that recovering drug addicts are gradually eased into society.