Cabinet launches new strategy to tackle drugs

CABINET YESTERDAY approved the new national drugs strategy for 2009-2012, Health Minister Christos Patsalides said yesterday.

The minister said the new strategy was shaped by well-prepared studies from academics at the Sorbonne and Hamburg, who evaluated the shortcomings of the previous strategy.

“We now have a revised, much more targeted strategy for the next four years,” said Patsalides.

The new strategy involves greater co-ordination of anti-drugs measures, with the appointment of a specific co-ordinator, who will oversee all activities on a full-time basis.

“[This is] so we don’t just have the situation where the Health Minister is head of the Anti-drugs Council, which meets once a month to adopt measures,” said Patsalides.

All six ministries involved in the new national strategy will also appoint a co-ordinator to help streamline efforts.

Another key factor of the new strategy is the effort to ensure that the anti-drugs measures taken are properly targeted, something which will be evaluated scientifically by a special committee which will also monitor implementation.

A third factor is therapy and the need to upgrade remedial centres and support new therapies and as well as drug users. The minister acknowledged that much focus in the past was on prevention, leaving issues of therapy out in the cold.

“Comparing the budget for prevention to therapy, we are very far behind,” he said.

The total cost of the new strategy amounts to €31m. Patsalides expressed hope that with the appointment of a special coordinator who could be made head of the Anti-drugs Council “we will be able to take the right steps and monitor our actions”.

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