A drug rehabilitation centre for minors is expected to be up and running next year, the social policy minister said on Wednesday.

Michael Falzon was replying to a question in parliament by Opposition MP Claudio Grech.

“The biggest challenge we are facing is the mentality among young people that it’s okay to take drugs once a week on Saturday night, just to have a good time,” Falzon remarked. 

He said that there were currently around 700 heroin addicts who need methadone on a daily basis. Malta was following the global trend which saw the use of cocaine “explode” while heroin use was in decline. 

He expressed concern that young people were picking up the habit of taking cocaine as if it was some sort of recreational substance.  

Falzon said that the government was funding three main drug rehabilitation centres - Oasi in Gozo, Centru Santa Marija and Caritas. However, to date there was no dedicated centre for treating minors having a drug addiction. In order to address this gap, the government was planning to open drug rehabilitation for minors in 2021.

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