With only his life left to lose to drugs, Robert* enrolled in a rehabilitation programme when he was assured he could return to his Freeport job once he recovered.

Twenty years of taking drugs on and off had cost him everything, including his family, and he had reached “a dead-end” with two options: death or prison.

“There was no other way. Every time I took drugs I prayed it would be the last time,” Robert, who has been clean for eight years, told The Times of Malta.

Robert had already followed a rehabilitation programme in the past, and was employed by the Malta Freeport clean. When he relapsed, he tried to hide his habit from his employees as he was scared he would lose his job.

But when he admitted his relapse, human resources director Duncan Borg Myatt realised that the man was willing to change.

“I’m still alive and not behind bars because of the support I found from my employers. Admitting myself to a Caritas rehabilitation programme was the most important decision I took.

“And the knowledge that I had a job to come back to, gave me the biggest push.”

He is nowadays terrified of losing all that he has managed to rebuild over the past eight years.

“I already lost everything once and I cannot risk losing everything again,” he said.

Having a stable job once they recover has also helped Robert’s colleagues to come back on the straight and narrow.

Tony*, in his late 20s, has also relapsed twice, and he was offered a job both times. The shame weighed heavily on him, but when he was called to Mr Borg Myatt’s office, he broke down. The father-of-two knew he could not continue down the slippery slope.

“I still remember Mr Borg Myatt’s words: ‘Enrol in a rehabilitation programme, and once you get off drugs, come back here. You will find your job waiting for you.’ That promise was a lifeline.”

Asked by Times of Malta many times he was willing to give employees a chance, Mr Borg Myatt said rehabilitation was no joy ride.

“Unlike the containers at the Freeport, our employees are not numbers. If they show that they are willing to change, I will give them even 10 chances. If they are not willing to change, then we show them the door,” he said.

The company is very strict and allows only people with a clean conduct to work there. Once they are back from the rehabilitation programme, a follow-up plan is drawn up and their responsibilities are adapted depending on their recovery. Things such as routine, the time of day they work and the number of employees around them can help them maintain stability in life, he added.

Mr Borg Myatt noted that anyone – no matter their social and financial background – could fall victim to drugs.

The circumstances that led Robert, Tony and a third colleague, Peter* to drugs varied from low self-esteem to having easy access to money and anything they ever wanted.

*Names have been changed.