KINGSTON, Jamaica — Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan, has hailed the launch of the Early Warning System (EWS) on Drugs as a welcomed intervention in addressing mental health issues resulting from drug use.

According to Bryan, the system will enable the authorities to be more proactive, thereby improving preventative management in the public health sector.

“The presence of new psychoactive drugs has created challenges within our population and if we recognise the impact of COVID-19, we recognise that it has created greater vulnerability, and that vulnerability is primarily the area of mental health,” he said. “The alignment, link, correlation and causation of these substances to mental health challenges is a significant, powerful testimony to what our ignorance or lack of capacity can result in if we are not proactive,” Bryan said.

Bryan was addressing the launch of the system on Friday, February 2 at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

The EWS will function as an institutional network of key stakeholders tasked with issuing alerts about new psychotropic substances, developing rapid and effective responses and maintaining a surveillance system using information from multiple sources, including epidemiologists.

Bryan said the EWS is well-needed, and the ability to track and respond to drug use on the island will further drive policy development and support efforts to overturn the threat of substance abuse, particularly among young people.

He also noted that mental health challenges in the youth have risen by at least 20 per cent over the last five years and have gravely affected the health sector.

“The presence of depression and psychotic episodes, triggered in some instances by the use and abuse of drugs, is resulting in a significant impact on our social norms and our social values, but most importantly, it is impacting the public health response to these challenges,” he said highlighting that drug-related mental health issues may also contribute to economic losses.

He noted that despite a record-low employment rate, many individuals are not participating in the labour market due to the impact of mental health issues on the ability to be productive.

“Therefore, our public health response is not only an issue of addressing primary care and its implications but also the imperatives of the economy. In this way, we are extremely proud of this engagement and extremely happy that we are at this point where we can launch our Early Warning System,” Bryan said.