Guyana launches drug strategy master plan
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Guyana has launched a National Drug Strategy Master Plan aimed at combating illicit drug use and trafficking.
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan told the ceremony on Friday that figures coming out of the drug use in a school survey tell a worrying story. He said that the new plan renews the war on the use of illegal drugs.
Ramjattan said that the plan, which will run until 2020, will “reduce the use of drugs in the community and minimise the harm that they cause to individual users and the community at large”.
The main objectives of the plan include the reduction of demand and supply of illicit drugs, providing treatment options, institutional strengthening and policy coordination to respond to drug use and strengthening international cooperation.
Ramjattan said the plan will undertake research to improve intervention and control, as well as monitoring the drugs threat.
This, he noted will see a very comprehensive inter-ministerial directed approach among the ministries of Social Protection, Education, Public Health and Public Security and Ramjattan said the David Granger government sees the need for a unified government organisation called National Anti-Narcotic Agency (NANA).
“Under this umbrella of NANA, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Police Narcotics Unit, the Drug Enforcement Unit under the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Coast Guard, other narcotics fighting units within other larger institutions will be integrated and organised so that we can have more functionality.”
Additionally, the plan will also result in the establishment of a special court to deal specifically with drug related offences. The court will deal with specified class of offenders and integrate drug treatment services within the criminal justice case process.
Ramjattan said that the modern strategy or master plan must involve how “our court system deals with those who are convicted”, for minor offences.
