“National Drug Survey will Create a Better Understanding of Means of Treatment which the Government and Civil Society May Utilize in order to Adopt a Feasible Drug Treatment Plan,” Vice President

Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed has said that the National Drug Survey 2011 will create a better understanding of means of treatment which the government and civil society may utilize in order to adopt a feasible drug treatment plan. The Vice President made this statement while speaking at the “Training Programme for Enumerators and Supervisors, National Drug Survey – Maldives 2011” held today at the Youth and Development Center, Male’.

During his speech, the Vice President stated that the results of this Programme would strengthen the National response and initiatives currently underway to combat drug abuse in the Maldives. The Vice President further noted that conduction of this Survey would enable building awareness and sensitization around drug users and around the patterns and trends of drug abuse.

During his statement the Vice President commended the efforts of the Maldivian Police Service, for contributing their assistance to prevent the escalation of drug trade and enforce government drug policies.

The Vice President further stated that the results of this Survey will assist in identifying the current numbers of drug addicts in our community.

The Vice President further expressed hope that the newly trained Enumerators and Supervisors would work with dedication and perseverance in their efforts to garner accurate results for this Survey.

This Programme is a joint effort by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and National Research Organisation Inova Pvt Ltd, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family. This Programme is held for training employees the first “scientifically robust national survey” of drug use in the Maldives.