NDA Reports Widespread Drug Use Across Maldives
The Chairperson of the National Drug Agency (NDA) and State Minister for Homeland Security and Technology, Lubna Mohamed Zahir, has revealed that illegal drug use is now evident on every inhabited island in the Maldives.
During a press briefing yesterday at Iskandhar Koshi, Lubna cited police statistics from the past five years, indicating that no islands remain free from drug-related incidents.
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The Chairperson of the National Drug Agency (NDA) and State Minister for Homeland Security and Technology, Lubna Mohamed Zahir, has revealed that illegal drug use is now evident on every inhabited island in the Maldives.
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“There are no islands in the Maldives where a drug-related incident has not occurred. This means there are no islands without drug use,” she stated.
In response to this situation, Lubna emphasised the importance of establishing drug rehabilitation and treatment facilities across the atolls. The government is currently in the process of setting up community rehabilitation centres in Noonu Atoll Velidhoo, Kaafu Atoll Kaashidhoo, and Laamu Atoll Gan. Additionally, permits have been secured to create outpatient treatment facilities in various regions, allowing for treatment to be provided through regional hospitals.
The National Drug Agency (NDA) has expressed concern over the increasing number of drug-induced psychosis cases in the country, attributing the rise to the growing use of synthetic drugs.
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An outpatient treatment clinic is set to open in Hulhumale soon, and methadone treatments, previously available only in Male’, will now also be offered in Hulhumale.
Remand centres have been established in both Hulhumale and Kaafu Atoll Himmafushi. The NDA has confirmed that there is currently no backlog of individuals awaiting treatment; those yet to receive assistance have other medical complications.
NDA Acting CEO Mohamed Rashid acknowledged that relapse into drug use is a significant issue in the Maldives, and the NDA lacks sufficient capacity to monitor individuals after their release from treatment. He noted that those reintegrating into society require support in finding employment and ongoing monitoring of their adjustment in the workplace.
He added that the need to repeatedly treat the same individuals is depriving newcomers of essential care. Rashid highlighted the absence of recent surveys on drug use and announced that the National Drug Council is currently working on conducting such research.
Superintendent of Police and Head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Nahid Hussain, revealed that police have begun efforts to detain drug users on the streets and direct them to treatment facilities. He explained that individuals found in public spaces, including those sleeping in mosques or engaging in petty crime, will be taken into custody and transferred to remand centres.
