Ills and joys of summer

summer has just started. Like any other season it brings ills and joys. Summer is the holiday season. People take to the sea during this hot season. Seacraft give pleasure to their owners and users. But they also bring ills and perils to swimmers.

The Malta Maritime Authority has identified 20 zones reserved for swimmers. These are marked by buoys to warn boat users that they have to drive their craft responsibly and without speed within the zones. The idea of these reserved zones is to provide and ensure safety to swimmers.

Generally speaking, people heed warnings and obey laws and regulations. Similarly there are those who go outside the parameters of the law. They may do so through negligence without any real criminal intent. But others are so arrogant that they disobey blatantly.

A vivid example of such unwarranted action occurred while the Minister for Communication and Competitiveness was addressing a press conference about the Safety at Sea campaign. The Times reported that an AFM dinghy, berthed alongside the ship where the press conference was being held, was dispatched to intercept two jet-skis that were over-speeding close to shore. This is proof that there still are irresponsible people who are unmindful of the danger they cause when they go beyond the speed limit. This is a clear sign of lack of responsibility or immaturity or both. Swimmers inside the safe zone should not be endangered by speeding seacraft.

Lifeguards

Sea traffic and dangerous currents in certain bays demand the presence of lifeguards. These must be present at all hours and every day. It is illogical and senseless to expect incidents to occur only at the weekend and at certain 'specified hours' and in certain bays only. I have been insisting in this column on the need of lifeguards at least during the swimming season to prevent the ills of summer.

Prevention is always better than cure. It is even better to have prevention in place before and not after fatalities.

Drug abuse prevention

Caritas has been issuing warnings against drug abuse by youngsters, as young as 12 and 11. Recently Caritas director Mgr Victor Grech deplored this sad and serious fact. He alerted parents of these youngsters. He stated as a fact that young boys and girls are progressing from soft to hard drugs at that tender age.

This serious warning was issued when Caritas marked International Day Against Drug Abuse yesterday. Mayors, especially those of Marsascala and Senglea, suspect that young persons in their localities are being introduced to drugs by traffickers from other areas. Evidence has been found of drug abuse near schools and places of entertainment frequented by youngsters.

The mayors called for more frequent police presence. In summer the police are stretched to the limit in patrolling duties. Incidents and crimes are always on the increase in summer. Petty theft by youngsters to pay for drugs is obviously more frequent when they have nothing to do because they are on holiday.

What is really and badly needed is the presence of a crime prevention system. The police claim that they are unable to cope because of limited human resources. The substitute, however, is there. There are Neighbourhood Watch and Victim Support systems. It is the duty of neighbours in high drug abuse areas to band together to form a Neighbourhood Watch.

Their duty is to be on the lookout for suspicion or actual fact of drug abuse and report to the police giving the necessary detailed information for possible quick counter-action. The duty of Neighbourhood Watch is to perform what the police are unable to do to combat drug abuse by curtailing if not eradicating it. At the same time their watch could decrease the incidence of theft that is an accessory of drug abuse.

At long last official notice and practice in the judicial process differentiates between the abuser and trafficker. The abuser is considered to be the victim while the trafficker is the criminal. The victim needs support and rehabilitation. The trafficker needs the vigiliance and investigation of the police to prevent the offender from his nefarious and dangerous traffic of drugs to innocent youngsters.

The trafficker knows what he/she is doing for profit and is also aware of the grave danger that awaits the abuser. Drug traffic is a serious crime and has to be dealt with as such. No suspended sentence or probation should be meted out.

Joys of summer

The picture of the season of summer is not all black. It is not even all grey. There is a sunny side to it too. Summer is the season of holidays. These are either statutory or else granted as factories and businesses shut down. Students and teachers have a well-earned two months of holidays.

Summer is long awaited as the festive season. We in Malta prepare for the village festa when we can celebrate and generally let our hair down. The summer festivals are an attraction to tourists who normally prefer to take their holidays from their dreary winters.

Fireworks displays are also joyful if only the enthusiasts forego the daylight barrage of high explosive bangs.