Heroin up, hash down in Malta’s topsy-turvy drug scene

Raphael Vassallo

Malta weighs in among the EU countries with the highest rates of problem heroin use and heroin-related deaths, as well as the lowest incidence of cannabis use, in a report which suggests that local drug trends are diametrically opposed to those of the rest of Europe.
The State of the Drugs Problem in Europe 2007 – the annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) – observes that Malta’s opiate dependency problem is markedly higher than those of other enlargement member states, including Eastern European countries.
“Some of the lowest well-documented estimates available are from the new countries of the EU,” the 90-page document states, “although this is not the case for Malta, where a relatively high prevalence has been reported.”
Malta’s prevalence of heroin users was estimated at 5.8-6.7 cases per 1,000 persons aged 15 to 64. Owing to differences in the methods of information gathering, it is not possible to make direct comparisons between individual countries. But the mean average for the rest of Europe was only between 2.2 and 2.8 cases: making Malta’s heroin dependency rate considerably the highest in Europe.
Alongside Romania and Lithuania, Malta also registers the highest incidence of acute drug-related deaths that show presence of opioids, including heroin. In fact, 100 per cent of acute drug related deaths in 2005 involved heroin overdose.
At a glance the EMCDDA report appears to cement perceptions of a gradual worsening of the local heroin problem, although admittedly the figures are open to some interpretation on account of economies of scale. All the same, a comparison between statistics for recent years shows that in 2005 – the same year which provided the statistics for the annual report – the number of individual heroin users receiving drug treatment was 12% higher than that of 2004, and 19% higher than 2003. Likewise, 38% of first treatment clients in 2005 were aged 15-19.
This latter statistic appears to suggest that heroin enjoys continued popularity among young users: very much the opposite of trends in the rest of Europe, where statistics suggest a gradual increase in age of heroin users, as well as an overall stabilisation of general heroin dependency rates.
Conversely, the same report also reveals that Malta consistently enjoys the lowest figures for cannabis use in three separate indicators: those who report having used the drug once in a lifetime; those who reported using the drug once last year, and those who used cannabis once in the last four weeks. Together with Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, Malta appears to be the EU member state with the least predilection for hashish.
In a country which does not possess any legal classification system for drugs, this appears to vindicate repeated calls, especially from agencies and voluntary groups involved in drug rehab work, for a revised national strategy for combating drug abuse.
This much is also implicit in the EMCDDA report, which classifies Malta as one of only three EU countries – the others being Italy and Austria – yet to implement a national drug strategy in 2007.
But in actual fact, a draft drug policy has been in the pipeline for some months now, after being cautiously announced by Social Policy Minister Dolores Cristina in July.
A Ministry spokesperson yesterday confirmed that the national policy, initially earmarked for the end of this year, had to be delayed in order to obtain more feedback.
“Following a request by stakeholders, the consultation period was extended further so as to provide more time for reactions. The feedback has now been received and its analysis is in the final stages. Following this analysis the final version of the National Drugs Policy will be published and implemented.”
The new policy will be implemented by the National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Social dependencies, and is expected to include 47 different actions specifically aimed at the sector and those working therein.
Extra funds have already been allocated in Budget 2008 for the purpose of its implementation.

rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt

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