Pubdate: Tue, 04 Dec 2007
Source: Borneo Bulletin (Brunei)
Copyright: 2007 Brunei Press Sdn Bhd.
Contact:  http://www.brunei-online.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3514
Author: P Marilyn

FINDING THE RIGHT WAYS TO COMBAT DRUG ABUSE

Sustained and long-term holistic solutions and  approaches, involving
government agencies,  inter-governmental agencies, international
communities,  regional bodies, as well as families, social
institutions, NGOs by means of concerted, collective  and united
efforts, are vital to combat the problem of  drug abuse.

This observation was made by the Minister of Home  Affairs, Pehin
Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri  Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin
Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib  Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd Yusof,
during the  opening of the 17th IFNGO (International Federation of
Non-Government Organisations for the Prevention of Drug  and Substance
Abuse) Asean NGOs Workshop held at Rizqun  International Hotel in Gadong.

The problem of drug abuse has been proven to be one of  the greatest
challenges facing mankind, and it affects,  not only the individuals,
but also their families, the  nation and the whole society, said the
Minister.

He applauded the efforts of community and voluntary  initiatives, such
as IFNGO, to complement government  organisation in the prevention of
drug abuse, thus  emphasising the spirit of partnership between
non-government organisations and government  organisations working
closely at national, regional and  international levels.

"I believe holding these annual IFNGO Asean Workshops  in Asean have
not only highlighted the role of  anti-drug NGOs in collaborative
alliances with  government organisations in developing, implementing,
monitoring and assessing drug abuse prevention and  control programmes
in the demand reduction strategy,  but have also contributed to the
development of our  social and community consciousness," said the Minister.

The presence of representatives and experts from the  Asean NGOs, and
also from the USA, the Colombo Plan,  Macau, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Hong
Kong, and the UN office  of Drug Crime for the 17th IFNGO Asean NGOs
Workshop,  signifies collective concern, sheer commitment and
dedication to combat drug menace together, he said.

He also applauded the local youths and students for  participating in
the Youth Forum, with the theme of the  2007 United Nations
International Day Against Drug  Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, as this
demonstrated  their recognition of the seriousness of drug abuse, and
its effects on them and their future.

On the theme of the workshop, "Overcoming the Incidence  of Recidivism
for Asean Drug-Free 2015", the Minister  noted that it was appropriate
and timely as recidivism  is a concern, and its prevention should be
prioritised  by treatment and rehabilitation professionals and
relevant agencies.

He said, "The burden caused by former addicts relapsing  falls not
only on the family, but also on the  community. The root causes of
relapse, its prevention  and aftercare needs must be re-assessed as
these are  necessary for the success of any programmes."

With regards to achieving a "Drug-Free Asean 2015", the  Minister said
that all sectors of the government and  the community should work
together in order to achieve  this goal through teamwork, networking,
cooperation  within the country itself and among members of Asean
countries, as well as relevant international agencies  and
organisations.

According to the Minister, at the recent 6th Asean  Ministerial
Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) on  November 5 to November 8,
it was agreed that to achieve  a Drug-Free Asean 2015 within the
broader Asean  community, cross-sectoral linkages among existing
regional and extra-regional mechanisms need to be  further
strengthened and coordinated.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath