Ecstasy use in Malta has declined radically and the use of khat has increased significantly, drug specialist Mario Mifsud told the House Social Affairs Committee.
It is considering the decriminalisation of drug use and looking at dependency issues and addictive mentalities that need to be factored into any decision taken.
Dr Mifsud, who is experienced in the field on a scientific and forensic level, said the increase in khat use was the result of a loophole in the law.
He said that heroin addicts were of a higher age group.
Statistics showed that worldwide there were 180 million users of cannabis and 90 million using ecstasy. According to a 2013 UN report, the drug culture was also related to certain music genres.
In 2012 Malta used over €5 million in the fight against drugs
Controls on drugs, mainly ecstasy, led to their reduction. Cocaine and amphetamines were also high in usage worldwide, even if amphetamines were not popular in Malta, he said.
There appeared to be what he called “a normalising trend” which meant the users knew what they wanted to raise their moods and to get off a high.
He said that internationally, the number of different psychotropic drugs available had doubled over the past four years, most of these manufactured drugs emanating from China. Herbal drugs, such as cannabis resin, came from North Africa. Dr Mifsud expressed concern at the lack of drug policy and augured that if this were to be introduced, it would take into consideration, and merge with, the policies adopted by Aġenzija Sedqa and Caritas.
He said that in 2012 Malta used over €5 million in the fight against drugs.
Changes within the police corps and the judiciary often left their mark on the drug scene since the time taken for transfer of knowledge normally resulted in a decline in criminal reporting. Research into drug usage in Malta needed to be drastically extended since the current methodology was too reliant on surveying users under methadone treatment. A significant number of users did not feel they needed treatment, he said.
Dr Mifsud delved into the elements which constitute addiction, mainly physical and mental dependence. He said that in considering decriminalisation, dependency issues in addiction needed to be very carefully assessed. Such issues were medical in nature and needed to be evaluated as such.
The role of the drug pusher too needed to be evaluated in the composition of the drug and in the hierarchy of use.
Aspects of decriminalisation raised concern, he said. A mechanism akin to the breathalyser needed to be introduced and traffic offences under the influence should be heavily penalised. He suggested that the focus on alcohol should also be directed to illegal drug use because of the chemical changes which occurred in the psyche of the alcohol user and of the drug user.