KINGSTON, Jamaica- Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, has confirmed that Jamaica’s Early Warning System (EWS) on the use of drugs is now a reality.

Speaking at the launch of the system on Tuesday at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, Permanent Secretary(PS) in the ministry, Dunstan Bryan, who represented the minister, noted that 15 organisations, chiefly across public health and national security, form the multidisciplinary inter-agency network. It is mandated to function institutionally to support efforts in delivering early warnings on changes in the rapidly changing drug problem, and developing rapid and effective responses with minimum risks.

“The prolonged mechanism will maintain a surveillance system with information from sources, including epidemiology, data on New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), and emerging drug phenomena, to support the development of rapid interventions,” the permanent secretary, who read the minister’s speech in his absence, told the audience at the launch of Jamaica’s first early warning EWS on drugs.

He said, over the last decade, new NPS has started to spread globally, along with other emerging drug threats such as new use patterns and toxic adulterants found in the drugs. This is seen as a fast-changing and very dynamic drug market which requires close monitoring, early detection and timely responses to counter such emerging drug threats.

Through the collection of such information, early warnings can be produced. They act as a communication tool to spread advance notice to relevant stakeholders, in order to prevent or reduce the risk of harm, increase risk awareness and improve safety.

Dr Tufton said an early warning system for drugs also involves a multidisciplinary inter-agency network which aims to: enable the exchange of information among key actors in the field of drugs; identify emerging drugs that pose a potential threat to public health; identify changes in drug markets, for example new use patterns; unusual concentrations or toxic adulterants; facilitate assessments of the risks posed by such drugs; and provide evidence to guide effective responses

On the NPS, he said the prolonged mechanism will maintain a surveillance system with information from sources, including epidemiology, and data on NPS and emerging drug phenomena to support the development of rapid interventions.

The minister commended the National Council on Dug Abuse (NCDA), an agency of his ministry, for continuing to execute “a sustained response towards emerging drugs tests”.

He said important to its role as the nation’s drug council, it is bringing together, under shared commitment, key stakeholders to cooperatively find and develop solutions and advance national actions to counter drugs associated with substance abuse.

The Ministry of National Security has also been collaborating with the NCDA, and other local stakeholders, to establish the EWS on drugs, which is a multidisciplinary network, incorporating several organisations and personnel directly or indirectly involved in work to curtail drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

These bodies include ministry agencies and organisations such as the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Narcotics Division, the Jamaica Crime Observatory and the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine (IFSLM). The ministry regards it as another forward-facing moment in Jamaica’s public health system and national development, through the launch of the EWS.

Dr Tufton noted that the Caribbean and Latin American countries are being challenged, with the onslaught of a rapidly changing drug market, as new and psychoactive substances have become a global phenomenon with more than 100 countries and territories, from all regions, having reported the presence of one or more such substances among their population.

He said Jamaica is by no means insulated from this ballooning crisis, as MDMA (molly/ecstacy) is growing in populations on the island’s shores, while “Conifer Psilocybe” or the “striate Psilocybe” mushrooms prevail elsewhere.

He stated that, in the meantime, work is afoot to: enable the exchange of information among key actors; identify emerging drugs that pose a potential threat to public health safety; and, to facilitate assessments of the risks posed by such substances.

He also noted that this collaborative mechanism is a workable solution to Jamaica’s drug problem, and will prioritise the following data points: reports on seizures of psychoactive substances; chemicals characterization of substances;and, the identification of patterns in usage, administration and consumption.

“Jamaica’s Early Warning System is shaped to reflect a proactive and responsive network of healthcare professionals, law enforcement officials, policy makers, forensic experts, laboratory technicians and government representatives from the Ministries of National Security, Justice, Health and Wellness and Education,” he reminded the meeting.

He also pointed to the fact that as the new and emerging drugs are being marketed in more sophisticated ways, their destructive nature is often disguised and the potential for their long-term impact on health and safety is affected.

In terms of the benefits of an early warning drug system, he said it will also have a better capacity to be able to monitor and deliver alerts on changes in the drug situation, and develop rapid and effective responses.

The PS said that the EWS will also have the capacity to inform on consumption patterns, adverse effects and undisclosed events linked to drug consumptions.

“All in all, this is a well- needed network that is poised to drive policy development and support existing actions designed to respond to the prevailing threat of substance abuse,” he pointed out.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, pointed out that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) early-warning advisory reported more than 1,124 psychotropic substances, up to December 2023.

“This Early Warning System is another important measure in Jamaica’s counter-drug efforts. I believe that Jamaica and the region will definitely reap the benefits of this system as a preemptive strike against the ills that traditional drugs, new psychotropic substances and drug trafficking wrecks on the social, economic and political fabric of any country,” she stated.

She also expressed gratitude to international partners who were instrumental in establishing the EWS, namely the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organisation of American States (IDACC), and Cooperation Programme between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union on Drug Policies (COPOLAD).

Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission of the Organisation of American States, Ambassador Adam Namm, acknowledged that Jamaica’s launch of the EWS speaks to the Government’s commitment to combating the grave and growing risk of illegal synthetic drugs to the health and safety of Jamaicans.

“I know that you will reap benefits in terms of timely response to drug threats and, more importantly, the improved health and safety of your citizenry. We are committed to supporting Jamaica in addressing the drug problem, and I look forward to Jamaica’s Early Warning System developing into a model for other countries to follow,” he said.

Also attending the function were: Luca Lo Conte, programme manager for the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica; Johnny Celestin, deputy director of the US International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section of the US Embassy; Ana Gallegos, head of sector of Section Action on new drugs risks to public safety and security; and, Jeanelle Van Glaanenweygel, resident representative of the OAS.

-Balford Henry