The Government's decision to use the authority for the use of cannabis to sponsor football nurseries clearly shows that we have reached rock bottom, the Nationalist Party said Monday..
That the Government, in its obsession with propaganda, shamelessly announced that the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) has partnered with the Malta Football Association (MFA) to launch a scheme for children is proof that today nothing is being taken seriously anymore, the party added..
The use of cannabis and other substances, and an authority synonymous with the legalisation of cannabis, can never in any way be associated with sport. Even more so, they should never be linked to football nurseries where children are being nurtured.
In a message shared to social media, Leader of the Opposition and of the Partit Nazzjonalista Alex Borg condemned this scandalous decision and questioned how such a decision could ever be taken.
"Yet for the Government, what does it matter? As long as it engages in limitless propaganda without understanding the consequences," said the Leader of the PN.
Alex Borg continued by stating that sport is a positive outlet. It is a space where our children grow up in a healthy environment, not one where they are exposed to substances - whether legal or illegal. Sport is often used as a means of rehabilitation from substance use, and for this very reason, such substances have no place in sport, whether directly or indirectly.
While Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg attended the launch of this scheme for photo opportunities, one must ask what is the position of the Commissioner for Children and whether any action will be taken.
While the PN agrees that sport and football nurseries should be supported, and the Leader of the PN pledged that such support will continue to be given, this support should certainly not come from the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis, Alex Borg said, while reiterating the need for accountability in this case.
Whoever took this decision clearly has no understanding of sport and, above all, is sending the worst possible message to our children, who are the men and women of tomorrow, the PN said.
"We cannot continue down this path as if nothing matters. Our country needs a new direction - one where those in leadership think before taking decisions and understand the consequences of their actions."
No link between cannabis and sports - Parliamentary Secretary
In a statement on her Facebook page, Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said that there is not going to be any tie between cannabis and sport, nor is there going to be any advertisement of substances in sports or children's nurseries.
She said there will not be any changes in anti-doping exercises either.
She said that sports is one of the most effective tools to fight against substance use, and this initiative will see funding use for social reasons - ergo, to help children from low income families join football nurseries.
"It appears that the Opposition leader ran out of ideas this morning and didn't find what to upload on social media. If what Alex Borg is saying made any sense, then the MFA would never have accepted being a part of this agreement," she said.
"To try and alarm parents or use initiatives like these to put forward a political message really shows how poor this country's Opposition is," she said.