The government is still spending a lot of money on trivial matters, such as giving parties, when funds could be used for better causes.

Between 1991 and 2003, 63 people died of an overdose connected to the abuse of drugs and, instead of investing in a project that will save many lives, we have people in government giving parties.

For heaven’s sake, where are our priorities? I hope that many people read l-orizzont on Monday, 6 June. Here we had it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, that there are more heroin users than recent statistics indicate. Mariella Balzan, coordinator of Caritas, admitted that our drug problem is full blown and there is no doubt that there are far many more drug users than recent surveys show.

This is because there are more users than the number of addicts who seek help. What about those that do not ask for help? Yes, indeed, that question is the ultimate one we should be asking ourselves and the answer is that we should be tackling the problem now.

The fact that the drug problem is, in my opinion, growing is not something to beam about but something to weep about, especially when so much money is being spent on fancy parties while so many youths have a drug dependency. Money down the drain when we should have serious matters on the brain!

Has our drug problem increased? Are the drug traffickers dirtying our streets? Is the supply and demand of drugs blown to gigantic proportions, in spite of many youths finding refuge in Santa Marija and San Blas?

If the answer is yes to the three questions, then we have no option but to fight this battle in investing in a project that will save hundreds of lives. We have to build this huge

centre for drug addicts who should be forced there against their will with the aid of doctors, councillors, and so on.

We have to put an end to the criminality that surrounds us, destroy the bulging bursting pockets of the drug traffickers and save lives even if enforcement is necessary.

Lm1.5 million is being used every year on drug prevention and rehabilitation centres, which are leading us nowhere. This fatal disease is rampant. We can only fight it if we use strict measures.

When on earth are we going to come to the conclusion that between drug rehabilitation centres, where not every addict resorts to, and youths dying because they do not seek help, the only solution that exists is to “put them away” for their own sake.

Valerie Borg

VALLETTA