The fight against drug use and illicit trafficking is a priority for Government and the collaboration of everyone is imperative to combat the drug scourge affecting the society, said the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, yesterday morning, at the Paul Octave Wiehe Auditorium in Réduit, in the context of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed annually on 26 June.
Once again, Pravind Jugnauth has taken up the cause of the police. He was highly critical of the press and of those who say that there is drug planting. “The press also has a responsibility. You can’t sensationalise things and defend the drug dealers. Bane trafikants la nek dire pe fer planting, pe fer planting”, lamented Pravind Jugnauth. For the Prime Minister, it is these allegations that are creating a climate of fear among the population. He declared that his government was waging a relentless battle against drugs. He repeated once again that the mafia has infiltrated the institutions, because people are easily corrupted with money.
According to the Prime Minister, the Day is an occasion to reflect on the drug scourge which affects all countries and to reaffirm the country’s commitment to scale up the fight against drug trafficking. Remarking on the global consumption of illicit drugs, he stated that Mauritius is not spared since more youths and adults are falling prey to drug abuse. The emergence of new synthetic drugs is affecting the youth and the society at large, he observed.
Speaking about the actions taken by Government to counter this problem, the Prime Minister underlined that as at date, some Rs 15 billion of drugs have been seized. He spoke of the setting up of the National Drug Secretariat, the High Level Drug and HIV Council, and the Drug Inquiry Commission to inquire into the extent of the illicit drug consumption, its economic and social consequences and the availability of new types of drugs, including synthetic drugs. A national campaign ‘Ansam kont la drog’ has also been launched, he added.
Furthermore, he stressed that 85% of the recommendations of the Drug Inquiry Commission have been implemented which demonstrates Government’s commitment in the fight against the drug scourge.
Lauding the important advocacy role played by NGOs in the fight against drug use, the Prime Minister said that it is imperative to work in close collaboration. He highlighted that Government will continue to support those NGOs financially and will provide them with all the necessary assistance so that they can better deliver their prevention and rehabilitation programmes.
He also cautioned the youth on the ills of drug addiction and urged them to stay away from drugs adding that society needs to fight this menace. He appealed to them not to fall prey to peer pressure and encouraged them to instead participate in more healthy activities such as sports, music, and theatre.
For her part, Vice-Prime Minister Dookun-Luchoomun dwelt on the theme of the Day which is “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”. She underlined the need to demonstrate more empathy towards the victims of drug abuse while adding that stigmatisation can cause more harm that drug consumption itself. Hence the need, she said, to better understand drug users and to show more compassion towards them and provide them with adequate assistance.
She emphasised the school is an important place to sensitise learners about the dangers of drug misuse and abuse and ways of resisting peer pressure to try drugs. She spoke about the Get Connected Programme which aims at developing resilience among the youth, the Rebound Programme which is a media-based life skills and risk education programme developed for young people in school settings, and counselling desks and psychologists at schools to provide support to students.
As for the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Singh, she underlined that the theme of the Day focuses on the need to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention. She underlined the importance of rehabilitation, upholding the human rights of people who used drugs, and protecting people and communities by ending impunity for drug traffickers profiting from people’s pain.
The Day was also marked by a presentation of awards to 14 NGOs, a sketch by students of Dr Regis Chaperon State Secondary School, songs by the artist Dagger KKila and by Mr Clarel Armelle, and a visit to an exhibition.
