The findings of the annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug addiction are worrying.

There are two findings in particular, which should be the cause of great concern. The first one of these is the fact that more cocaine offences are being registered than there are of cannabis. If one were to assume that the number of offences reflects the fact that there are a rising number of users, then it is cause for serious alarm.

Cocaine is a seriously destructive drug. Not only does it damage the brain of users, it also causes very severe trouble in families. Cocaine is an expensive habit, users resort to stealing and robbery to fund it and this has severe repercussions on the rest of the family, both in terms of stress and in terms of finance.

The figures seem to indicate that there has been an influx of cocaine, otherwise, there would not be that many people on it. If one applies simple economics, then, if that is the case, the street price can be expected to be relatively low, as there is an ample supply.

The report also highlights that the heroin that comes into Malta is some 36% pure, the highest in the EU, at a par with Romania. Only Turkey had a higher percentage of pureness, at 37 %. To put the figures into perspective, the lowest purity level was registered in Austria, at 13%. This too, can be put into context, when one looks at what happened yesterday. It is not the first time, and it will not be the last. A young man was found yesterday suffering from a suspected overdose. He had only been released from prison a few hours earlier. It is a recurring pattern. If rumours are to be believed, then inmates can obtain heroin in prison, but it is likely to be ‘cut’ right down, so as to allow more doses to be extracted and sold on for more profit.

Once these inmates get out, they are again exposed to high purity heroin, and on more than one occasion, we have seen such overdoses. Drugs are amongst us. If we go back one decade or so ago, there was not as much available on the streets. In fact, society was waging war against drugs. People were vigilant, and the evils of drugs were always drummed into children and teenagers. Today, sadly, it seems as though drugs are right at the heart of society. It seems they have become part and parcel of our social make-up. People no longer wage war against drugs. It has just become so accepted. An evil in our midst. What can be done? Sadly, not very much. Drugs will continue to flood into Malta, just as they do anywhere else in the world. What we can do is try to continue to educate people against ever getting involved. Equally, we must offer all support possible to those who are or were addicts, as well as their families. They must be afforded every chance to rebuild their lives. At the same time, of course, the police must remain vigilant and do their best. And finally, the long mooted Drugs Court should be enacted as soon as possible.