(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Yet another effort by the CARICOM Secretariat to address the problem of substance abuse has been lauded as exceptional, by an international organization.

Working in tandem with the European Union, the Secretariat conducted a two-day workshop for non-governmental organizations in minimising the social and health consequences of substance abuse. The workshop, held in Jamaica on 24-25 June, sought to share information and experiences and provide practical suggestions and guidelines for establishing and or strengthening low threshold treatment centres for street and homeless drug addicts and their families.

Representative from the European Union, Ms Helen Jenkinson, told participants at the workshop on Wednesday that she welcomed the initiative as an excellent and timely concept, given the gravity of the problem of substance abuse. She noted that although the conference treated with the social impact of drug abuse, there was an urgent need to consider the enormous economic impact.

She reiterated the EU’s commitment to partnering with CARICOM in tackling the problem; encouraged countries to become more involved with the initiatives which were being spearheaded at the Regional level and urged the sharing of information as a critical success factor in tackling substance abuse.

CARICOM Secretariat’s Programme Manager for Sustainable Development, Ms Beverley Reynolds in her remarks stated that it was time to shift the focus of treating with the issues of substance abuse and drug addiction “from punitive to corrective; from judgmental to supportive; from stigma and discrimination to the acknowledgement of the dignity and inalienable rights of a human being…”

One important expected output from this workshop, she said, was the establishment of a network of practitioners and organizations (including government) working in drop-in-centres. She further encouraged participants to use this network to share information, good practices in an effort to support one another.

Executive Director of the National Council on Drug Abuse, Jamaica, Mr Michael Tucker acknowledged the work of the CARICOM Secretariat in supporting National councils on drug abuse and NGOs in the Region to focus on critical areas of treatment and prevention of substance abuse.

He also impressed upon participants the need to reach substance abusers in their own environment, underscoring the importance of drop-in centres and street based programmes in providing appropriate care for persons who were not residential clients of other rehabilitation programmes.

He also thanked the EU for its support and expressed anticipation for other partnerships in improving the success rate in treatment and rehabilitation

The workshop explored a range of topics including Selling Harm Reduction to the Community; implementing a human rights-based approach in programme development – the Caribbean experience; Institutional and Political Considerations for Establishing Low Threshold Drop-In Centres; and practical guidelines for establishing Low Threshold Drop-In Centres.