  |
Minister speaks of drug addiction in Gibraltar and the Campo area
|
In an interview with PANORAMA, family minister Jaime Netto says that "one of the things we have learnt is that of late they have introduced the “Twelve Step Programme” in the Campo, which we have been applying for the last 11 years.
According to them the implementation of this programme is achieving higher rates of success to their service-users. The visit by a Campo delegation was centred on the drugs problem.
In relation to their centre, Spain has traditionally adopted the Harm Reduction approach. Many countries with significant heroin problems have gone down this route.
In recent years,said Mr Netto, the 12 Step Approach, that underpins the work of Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous and that advocates total abstinence from drugs and alcohol has started to take root in Spain.
The visiting delegation pointed out that there is already one such centre in San Roque that is proving to be highly successful. This has been the approach that Gibraltar adopted since Bruce’s Farm opened its doors in 1999. There are also a large number of support groups using this approach that have started up in the neighbouring Campo De Gibraltar. There are close links between these groups and those that exist in Gibraltar, for much longer, to the extent that some members of the Spanish groups regularly share their experiences with service users at Bruce’s Farm.
Asked if they had any criticisms, even if politely put, of Gibraltar as regards drugs, or were they pleased with they saw and heard of how Gibraltar tackles the problem, Mr Netto replied: They were quite pleased to observe that we do have some sophisticated and developed policies in prevention and rehabilitation. One difference lies in that law enforcement officers in Spain as a matter of routine seek judges’ orders in order to interfere in electronic communications as part of the evidence to convict drug smugglers in court.
He went on to say: It was clear from our exchange of views that the pattern of drug addiction in the Campo area is different to ours, and corresponds to a different sociological and historical evolution. The scale of the problem in the Campo is unfortunately much more serious than ours, and hence why the Mancomunidad de Municipios along with the voluntary sector and the enforcement law officers have had to develop services and strategies that match the scale of the problem on the other side of the frontier.
28-05-10
|
|
|
|
