Undoubtedly, the government’s task referred to in the recently published Draft National Drugs Policy as “demand reduction” must be given top priority in the country’s fight against drug trafficking.

The draft policy that is currently open to public consultation is certainly a positive step in the fight against drugs and the government’s emphasis shift to monitoring, evaluating, research, information and training is a step in the right direction.

The value of collecting information on the situation of drug demand and supply, and more importantly drug use and its consequences, can never be stressed too much. The policy document dedicates a whole section to this aspect, but the main problem is the country’s tardiness to act.

The policy document outlines a number of actions particularly targeted at young school children. The reason given for the emphasis on educating young people is that “if one prevents the use of drugs in adolescence, there is then less likelihood that these people will turn to drugs in adulthood.”

However, the need to reduce demand for drugs among the adult population must not be forgotten. The problem is not just about drugs, it is about the whole social structure. It is about people’s lifestyles and the media play a very important role in this regard.

It is not simply about formal education, but also informal education – things people pick up as they go along. It is about understanding what people take in from television, newspapers, radio and the internet in particular.

This is where the value of collecting information comes in. Advertising campaigns related to the use of drugs must be designed wisely according to the information collected, with the hidden, indirect message being given utmost importance.

The government’s holistic approach, wanting to involve all stakeholders, must be widened further still. The approach must be one that sends out a strong message that the fight against drugs will benefit us all. The government must act as a motivator in this regard, not simply as a policy maker.

Naturally, the set-up of a strong law enforcement programme may also act as a way of reducing demand, particularly for those who would have just started experimenting with drugs. This is where demand reduction and supply reduction come to a crossroads.

In turn, the tangible fight against drug barons, not necessarily drug traffickers, still leaves a lot to be desired and this aspect is hardly taken into consideration in the policy document. Of course, one must also point out that the Police Drug Squad and the Customs anti-Drug Squad have registered big hauls over the years and their work is never ending.

As Labour’s main spokesperson for home affairs, Gavin Gulia pointed out in a recent opinion piece he wrote on the subject: “There is a great divide between them (convicted abusers who had fallen into the trap of trafficking in order to feed their vice) and the barons who profit over the miseries of their victims.”

The need to provide alternatives to imprisonment in certain cases is particularly seen by the very fact that there is an ever-increasing number of inmates who use drugs in prison. This is where the need to act… and act fast… comes in.

Closing one eye to this situation just because these people are in prison is no excuse, particularly since the situation is supposedly meant to be under more control at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

What is it that is so “correctional” about it? Worse so, the Substance Abuse Therapeutic Unit in Mtahleb, which is currently run by a staff complement of about 10 people, is only attended by six to eight inmates. One cannot seriously believe that there are only that many inmates who have drug problems. A simple visit to the courts to look through drug-related judgments proves otherwise.

There is a strong need to address issues related to this unit, particularly considering the recent tragedy involving a specific inmate who had just been released from this same unit, returned home and died of an overdose within days.

The National Drugs Policy is only a first step forward. The need to act… and act fast, particularly in regard to such a growing problem, can never be stressed too much. It is not just about lives that are lost; it is about the crumbling society that the drug problem carries with it. It is about seeking to put together the pieces that have crumbled and attempting to restore a sense of well-being and a love-for-life attitude.