The Third Eye marched down to Valletta’s University Campus on 26th February to attend the panel discussion titled, The National and European Impact of Drug Use. This event was the fourth and final part of KSU’s ‘Beyond the Influence: A Drug Awareness Campaign‘. With the intention of raising awareness on all things drug-related, this campaign feels extremely relevant.
Beyond The Influence
The world of drugs is wide and large. This campaign firstly intended on raising awareness of drug use and abuse (yes, there’s a difference) amongst young adults. It also covered illicit drug activities- particularly drug trafficking as well as the kind of effects drugs have on the body and mind. The effectiveness of drug treatment and rehab was also covered. But it went beyond that too; touching upon how law enforcement may be enhanced to fit the holistic context of drugs as well as the judicial cooperation and legislation in the EU.
The wide array of topics covered highlights how interconnected societal systems are in relation to the individual and the kinds of decisions they make, especially when it comes to drugs.
Meet the Panelists – The National and European Impact of Drug Use
A discussion of such high importance cannot be held without a well-informed collective. For this reason, KSU brought to the panel four professional guest speakers from various backgrounds to implement a vibrant discussion.
Karen Mamo – with a background in Harm Reduction and Conflict resolution, Mamo raised awareness about the necessity of dialogue. Her inclusive approach ensures the promotion of health and wellbeing for people who use substances.
Julian Delia – an up and coming journalist for the Times of Malta. His activism as one of the former founding members of ReLeaf brought well educated and researched contributions to the discussion on legalisation, regulation and taxation of cannabis.
Dr. Philip von Brockdorff – Head of the Department of Economics at UoM. His profession as an applied economist and contributions to the economic review of several Government policies made him a key speaker on drug-related policies which were discussed in this panel.
The Honourable Claudette Buttigieg – Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Malta. She is also PN’s spokesperson on Social Policy and the Family. Her work in the fields of Equality, Social Dialogue and Health contributed greatly to the conversation on the National and European Impact of Drug Use.
It’s All About Policy
As mentioned above, ‘The National and European Impact of Drug Use’ was the final panel discussion in this campaign’s series. This particular discussion focused on the following policy areas of the Drug Policy. These being the;
- ‘Drug Demand Reduction’ which aims at reducing the publics desire for illicit and illegal drugs.
- ‘Drug Supply Reduction’ which aims at interrupting drug trafficking across various transportation modes.
Despite the increase in this policy’s implementations, drug use is still a prominent issue. The campaign tackled this by paying particular attention to Malta’s implementation of the EU minimum quality standards. The discussion also talked about enhancing security and enhancing effective judicial cooperation and legislation in the EU as potential solutions.
To Legalise or not to Legalise?
The panel delved beyond policies too! Besides touching upon all aspects of illicit trafficking of drugs- if and how the legalisation of drugs will have an effect on it for instance. They also focused on the hypothetical impact legalising particular drugs would have on the drug demand and supply relationship in Europe. Will legalisations result in an increase or decrease in demand? Following this, a discussion on the negative and positive impacts of decriminalisation ensued. After decriminalisation, EU countries like Portugal experienced significant drops in overdoses, HIV infection and drug-related crimes occurred in. Could and should Malta follow suit on this basis?
The Cannabis Conundrum
Particular attention was given to a rather hot topic in the drug world at the moment- cannabis. Questions on the panel included the contrasts between recreational and medical cannabis- accessibility being a prominent issue. Although medical cannabis has been legalised, contrasting regulations regarding it have hindered its movement as a good across States. This was tackled through legislation amendments made by the European Medicinal Cannabis Alliance. The speculated impacts this harmonising motion has had on Maltese citizens using cannabis as a treatment was touched upon.
Apart from this, the conditions regarding legalisation of Recreational Cannabis in Malta was also posed. Questions included, “What kind of restrictions should be posed regarding consumption?” And secondly, “how can Cannabis’ reputation as a gateway drug be combatted, especially given this potential legalisation? “
Your FuturEU
On top of the Drug Awareness Campaign, KSU will be holding another two campaigns co-funded by the EU. These campaigns form part of the umbrella campaign Your FuturEU, all oriented towards the well-being of students and young adults. Check out KSU’s space for more information on the upcoming The Future is Equal: A Gender Equality Campaign and Mind Your Health: A Mental Health Campaign. We’re fervently anticipating these campaigns and holding them to the same standard as ‘Beyond the Influence’.