It is indeed positive that Malta is once again talking about the plague of the 21st century – narcotics.

It was about 15 years ago that drugs really burst onto the scene in Malta. Previously, it was heroin, cocaine and cannabis which were the drug uses of choice. But in the mid-nineties, the party scene began to kick in, and with it came the designer drug, ecstasy, and the resurgence of the 60s drug, LSD.

Like anywhere else in the world, it was ecstasy which caught the nation’s eye, as clubbers dropped like flies, overdosed on pills. At the time, the drug laws were outdated, sharing was tantamount to trafficking and, if a fellow user dropped someone off at hospital for overdose treatment, they would in turn be prosecuted.

Things have changed. The law courts make a distinction between trafficking by sharing and the actual peddling of drugs. In addition, those who help people who have overdosed at hospital are now protected.

But times have changed. Cocaine – previously a rich man’s drug – has now become the staple drug of choice for a weekend out. From what can be gathered from trial testimonies, its price has dropped and it has become ‘affordable’.

In addition, there has been the emergence of MMDMA, Mephedrone, various pills, and numerous other concoctions that people buy off the internet and later shove up their noses.

It is worrying. First of all, it is worrying because trends are changing so much and no one can keep up with the steady emergence of new substances. The minute a country legislates against a new drug (UK and mephedrone for example), drug designers in the Far East merely change the active ingredient in a formula and a new drug emerges.

These substances are freely available to order on the internet. All it takes is a Google search and one is directed to various websites where one can purchase various perfectly legal, but dangerous, substances, which can be mailed anywhere in the world.

But going beyond these arguments, the most worrisome factor of all is that these drugs are so freely available. In times gone by, trafficking was mostly limited to the dodgy village pusher who would base himself in the village square. He would quickly be caught by the police and another would take his place. At least, the situation was, in a sense, under control.

Now, however, it is different. Various articles have appeared in the press on how easy it is to buy drugs, even if one does not have a supplier. Many allege that it is as simple as asking around in a club to be directed to the nearest dealer.

The TV programme Xarabank often gets its share of criticism, particularly presenter Peppi Azzopardi, but if one casts their mind back to 1998, it was Xarabank that really pushed the issue to the forefront of the media.

Equally, a few weeks ago, Xarabank presented a double bill on the issue, with life stories told by actual reforming drug addicts. It was sobering to watch. It was informative and Caritas even thanked the organisers for stimulating the debate as an influx of phone calls hit their call centre.

The fight against drugs will never be won outright. But the quickest way to allow drugs to continue to infiltrate into society unhindered is to ignore the problem. We must continue to talk about it, openly and honestly.