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By
Anthony Milne
CABINET has decided to set up a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary
committee to review and upgrade drug treatment and rehabilitation
centres.
Speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing,
Minister of Social Development Dr Amery Browne said there
would also be a review of physical facilities and staffing.
Browne said it was necessary because the present facilities
had “not been able to address the full spectrum of
needs of the substance-using and abusing population of our
country.”
Of the existing 17 drug-treatment and rehabilitation centres,
Browne said seven were operated by State agencies and ten
by non-governmental organisations.
The Government had recognised the link between drugs and
crime, the Social Development Minister said.
“The
supply factors include the relatively easy availability
of both licit and illicit drugs,” Browne explained.
“On
the demand side, available data indicate that the drug-use
problem is impacted by a number of social, cultural, psychological,
emotional and other factors.”
He stressed also that while most of the drug-treatment and
rehabilitation centres were well intentioned and had been
established over a number of years, they were not “governed
by any formal regulatory system” at present.
The Government recognised the recent efforts of people like
Errol Fabien, who said on Tuesday at President’s House
that he would be undertaking a “freedom walk”
to commemorate his being free of drugs for 20 years.
The new committee will formulate policy on the operation
of a national drug treatment and rehabilitation system,
which is to be multi-disciplinary and inter-ministerial
in nature.
There would be representation on the committee from the
Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development,
the Ministry of National Security, non-governmental organisations,
as well as the private sector.
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