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Mr. Pernell Clarke, Ms Angela Crowdy of the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Hon A. Michael Perkins, Ms Paula Hazel and Dr. Eileen MacLachlan-Moore of the National Counsel on Drug Abuse Prevention in St. Kitts and Nevis. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 24, 2005) -- Dr. Eileen MacLachlan-Moore, National Coordinator of the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention in St. Kitts and Nevis led a delegation that included representatives of the Inter American Drug Abuse Commission based in Washington, USA to Nevis on Tuesday.
The four member delegation including Mr. Pernell Clarke of the Inter American Observatory on Drugs (OID) of the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and Ms Angela Crowdy Coordinator of the Multi-Lateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM) of CICAD and Ms Paula Hazel, made a courtesy call to Honourable A. Michael Perkins Minister of Physical Planning, at his Charlestown office.
Dr. Eileen told Government Information Service that the visit to Nevis was a part of the Councils quest to bring St. Kitts and Nevis in line with other Organisation of American States members, Canada, the USA, central and South America to standardise how drug control is managed.
She said the CICAD representatives who are from the statistics, information and research unit of CICAD, had been invited to visit St. Kitts and Nevis to bring the Council up to date as to how best to manage drug control in the Federation.
The NCDAP Coordinator whose Council forms part of the Ministry of National Security, said there are a number of measures being taken to achieve the goal including the gathering of statistics and updating laws to deal with the existing drug problems. There are also programmes for demand reduction and programmes, which are disseminated in the communities and at schools and colleges.
We are also interested in treatment. If you have become addicted and you are in trouble we need to be able help to counsel to advise, provide medication and in the long run detoxification, thats on the cards to come, she said adding that the Council was also interested in the source of the drugs, what types are being used, the emerging trends and everything else associated with drug use including violence, guns, money laundering and corruption.
While the Council does not have a physical office on Nevis, most of the work is coordinated through collaboration with Mrs. Angela Scarborough Assistant Secretary in the Premiers Ministry in the Nevis Island Administration.
During their visit to Nevis, the delegation also met with Mr. St. Clair Wallace, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Gender and Social Affairs, at his Government Road office.
