Sedqa, the national agency against drug and alcohol abuse, places a big emphasis on education by means of its prevention programmes and it is reaching a number of different people in society, said the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry yesterday.

The ministry issued a statement in reaction to another one issued by Labour spokesperson for social solidarity Marie Louise Coleiro Preca the previous day.

Dr Coleiro Preca had said that every year, the government was voting more money for drug agencies such as Sedqa, but was not giving any importance to what they were achieving.

The ministry said Sedqa considers children and life skills education as the focal points of their efforts. In fact, every year, the agency reaches thousands of students, parents and teachers.

While acknowledging that every life lost due to drugs is a tragedy, this does not mean that the work being carried out in this sector is not proving to be fruitful.

Sedqa provides a wide range of services to people of different ages and it also offers services on a community and residential level. People with problems of alcohol, drugs or gaming may all benefit from the agency’s services, said the ministry.

It added that contrary to what Dr Coleiro Preca alleged, that the government was neglecting prevention during the scholastic year 2005-6, Sedqa’s prevention programmes reached about 10,000 students between three and 15 years.