Fight against drug abuse gets further boost |29 October 2014

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) is organising a series of workshop for the different stakeholders in the fight against drugs in Seychelles.

The workshops are being organised in collaboration with the social affairs department in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports.

The series of workshop which is being led by Dr Reychad Abdool, UNODC senior regional HIV & Aids adviser and Raj Boyjoonauth, UNODC management & training consultant started on Monday and will run until Friday.
 
The workshop is part of the UNODC programme of cooperation with Seychelles, among which is  developing capacity of various organisations to better deal with the increasing number of drug dependent persons and also strengthening the prevention programmes with different target groups.

Those attending the workshops will get an overview of the drug situation across sub-Saharan Africa, understand why people take drugs, among other issues.

It was the Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan who officially opened the series of workshop yesterday at the Care House in the presence of the Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton, Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development Idith Alexander and other guests.

“Seychelles’ commitment to the fight against drug trafficking and consumption remains ever fervent, as it is a party to various legally binding international instruments that oblige zero-tolerance to any form of drug activity on State Parties, United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psycho-tropic Substances, and the SADC Protocol on combating Illicit Drugs,” Minister Morgan said in his opening address.

“It is important to note that addiction is an illness, rather than a crime; therefore addicts should be treated as such, as persons who live with an illness that they need to overcome, rather than as criminals,” noted Minister Morgan.

He added that “taking appropriate measures to fight this social ill is indeed a complicated task. However, I trust that this week’s training will allow you to draw from the international experience, for future best practice and success in helping addicts in their quest for a more positive and healthy lifestyle”.

Minister Morgan thanked the UNODC for its “presence and assistance with this vital training in the efforts to overcome the drug epidemic in Seychelles”.