'Alarming' - Caritas director urges better law enforcement to curb drug use
'Many are dying because of driving under the influence' - Anthony Gatt
Drugs culture in Malta is stronger than ever and better law enforcement is necessary to curb the “alarming” use of cocaine and crack cocaine, Caritas director Anthony Gatt said on Friday.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 23 individuals who successfully completed their drug rehabilitation programme at the San Blas therapeutic community, Gatt called for the police, LESA officers and Transport Malta officials to be given drug-testing tools and legal powers to curb driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
He urged “every authority” to control public cannabis use and warned all “destructive and deceptive synthetic drug products” must be removed from the shelves, adding that cannabis advertising should be stopped
Gatt also called for a ban on the sale of nitreous oxide cannisters (laughing gas) unless it is for its intended purpose.
In 2023, Malta had a record number of drug-related deaths, 18, and 13 of these died of a heart attack because of excessive cocaine use.
“The use of cocaine and crack cocaine is alarming,” Gatt said, adding that emergency and forensic doctors are reportedly worried about the increase in the number of road accidents due to drug use.
“A couple who were organising their wedding outdoors went to rent portable toilets and they were asked if they wanted them with or without a shelf,” he recounted.
“There are many who are dying or getting killed or ending up with disabilities because of driving under the influence. The insurance association informed us that in traffic accident cases where someone is injured, only 3 per cent are subjected to a breathalyzer test.”
He slammed the “mislabelling and outright deceit and mockery” of cannabis products with 0.2 per cent THC which are sold in various shops under the guise of souvenirs, even though some have been found to contain traces of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs.
“There are HHC products that still haven’t been removed from the shelves, despite being banned. Whose responsibility is it to remove this rubbish?”
In 2024, Caritas supported 930 service users. Of these, 236 were admitted to one of its residential programmes. Through its collaboration with the Ministry for Social Policy and the Alfred Mizzi Foundation, 399 individuals accessed emergency shelters at Dar Papa Franġisku and Dar Maria Dolores, while 25 made use of the second-stage REACH shelter programme. Additionally, 676 vulnerable people were provided with free meals at Dar Papa Franġisku. The majority of Caritas clients - 53 per cent - sought help for cocaine addiction.
“Drugs culture in Malta is stronger than ever. People have the mentality that you need to take drugs in order to have fun. One resident told us that today you can find more drugs than ever before,” Gatt said.
He added that there is “blatant drug dealing” in entertainment venues with runners approaching potential clients to sell them drugs.
“Every runner caught by the police is replaced shortly afterwards.”
Caritas is currently constructing a block of apartments in Naxxar which will serve as a supported housing project for 18 women and young people who have successully completed their drug rehabilitation programme but are homeless.
They are also raising funds to cover the €1.5 million bill to refurbish the kitchen block and female programme building at San Blas and the prison inmates programme building.