Africa-Press – Mauritius. The National Drug Secretariat (NDS) organised, today, a half-day workshop, at Voilà Hotel, Bagatelle, in the context of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, observed on 26 June each year.
The theme for this year is Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis. The workshop was facilitated by three resource persons namely the Programme Coordinators at the NDS, Mr S.
Corceal and Dr A. Appadoo; and the Programme Officer at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Mrs P. Bohanee. The focus was on the following themes: Epidemiology of drug situation; Evolution of Drug situation in Mauritius; and Substance Use Disorder.
In a statement, Mr Corceal indicated that the aim is to create more awareness on drug prevention and discuss the report of the National Survey among People Who Use Drugs in Mauritius 2021.
The report, he said, was prepared with the technical assistance of the World Health Organization and provides an overview on the scourge of drugs in Mauritius.
The workshop, he pointed out, brought together participants from Non-Governmental Organisations, the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology and the Mauritius Sports Council, who are in close contact with drug users.
It is important for participants to have a good knowledge of the situation of drugs in Mauritius, the types of people who are most vulnerable to drug use and the substances that are in circulation among drug users, he added.
Dr Appadoo underlined that the international day is an opportunity for countries across the world to reflect on the causes and impact of drugs in the society. It is also an occasion to discuss strategies on the way forward and strengthen action in combatting drugs, he said.
The workshop, he indicated, will enable participants to be well-informed on the issue of drugs so that they create awareness in a more effective and efficient manner.
As for Mrs Bohanee, she dwelt on the situation of drugs in Mauritius and worldwide. She pointed out that there has been a considerable impact on drug use and its consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Drug trafficking has quickly evolved with the pandemic and the intake of drugs such as Cannabis among the youth has considerably increased, she added.
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