The findings of this assessment highlight the need for more awareness campaigns. There is a lack of proper information about addiction, risk behaviours and drugs. This lack of awareness in the community leads to stigma and discrimination towards the addicts in the population. The alienation and loneliness experienced by the addict increases their vulnerability to drugs and makes it more difficult for them to abstain from drug use. This vulnerability is further increased by lack of education, formal employment and healthy entertainment opportunities. Furthermore, the overcrowding experienced by one third of the population residing in Male’ acts as an antecedent to violence and substance misuse amongst young people (de Lind van Wijngaarden, 2006). The upheavals experienced by the devastating tsunami in 2004 have increased feelings of boredom, confusion, frustration and a lack of control and can be considered further antecedents to substance use.
The need for increased technical expertise in treatment and aftercare services is also apparent. The Maldivian government and the community recognises the growing problem of substance use and the need for treatment and aftercare services. However further strengthening of programs and services is necessary to reduce the rates of relapse.
It is impossible to put a figure to the amount of addicts in the country today. We choose not to commit ourselves to a number because it is a dynamic quantity and is constantly changing. We feel that any extrapolation methods we do carry out using the data from the rehabilitation centers and the police will greatly underestimate the true number of addicts in the population. One thing we know for sure if that even though we do not give you a number of addicts, we do know that each and every Maldivian has been affected by this problem. There are too many addicts to ignore and not rehabilitating them would have a tremendous impact on Maldivian society.
The need for increased technical expertise in treatment and aftercare services is also apparent. The Maldivian government and the community recognises the growing problem of substance use and the need for treatment and aftercare services. However further strengthening of programs and services is necessary to reduce the rates of relapse.
It is impossible to put a figure to the amount of addicts in the country today. We choose not to commit ourselves to a number because it is a dynamic quantity and is constantly changing. We feel that any extrapolation methods we do carry out using the data from the rehabilitation centers and the police will greatly underestimate the true number of addicts in the population. One thing we know for sure if that even though we do not give you a number of addicts, we do know that each and every Maldivian has been affected by this problem. There are too many addicts to ignore and not rehabilitating them would have a tremendous impact on Maldivian society.
0 comments:
Post a Comment