Republic of Mauritius- Prime Minister Jugnauth appeals to population to come together to fight the scourge of drugs

​GIS – 26 June 2020: Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth appealed to the young and the population at large to make the most of life in a healthy way, take up sports activities, develop talents and engage in social work so as to take a positive outlook on life and this in turn will help the country win the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

The Prime Minister was present today at the Centre Nénuphar, Long Mountain Hospital, to officially launch the sensitisation campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. In his allocution, he underscored that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that the population has demonstrated its capacity to come together to overcome major challenges and this togetherness as well as determination are important in the war against drug abuse.

He reiterated Government’s commitment to fight against both the demand and supply of drugs in their various forms while emphasising that parents have a crucial role to educate their children about the devastating effects of drugs through effective communication.

Prime Minister Jugnauth lauded the role played by NGO’s and other stakeholders in the rehabilitation process of drug and substance users. He noted with concern the number of youngsters that falls into the infernal cycle of the drug scourge and recalled that Government has set up five centres across the country so as to work together with drug users in a bid to get them out of this vicious circle.

Mr Jugnauth highlighted that in 2017 the value of seized drugs amounted to more than two billion rupees compared to a mere Rs 115 million in 2010. This clearly shows the determination and will of this Government in its relentless war against drugS, he added.

The Prime Minister underscored that Government is allocating a significant budget to acquire the necessary equipment to help drug users in their rehabilitation as well as for the police force, customs and other stakeholders in the fight against drug trafficking.

2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Recently, the field of addressing the world drug problem has been ‘plagued’ by misinformation of many kinds. The theme for the 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking “Better Knowledge for Better Care” emphasizes the need to improve the understanding of the world drug problem and how in turn, better knowledge will foster greater international cooperation for countering its impact on health, governance and security.

The UNODC encourages individuals, non-profit organizations, the private sector and Member States to get involved in its social media campaign to mark this day and invites them to draw on the resources provided in the social media campaign package.

#FactsForSolidarity