National Narcotics Control Bureau

FAQ

Q: If I volunteer for drug rehabilitation, can I remain in Male (without going to the Rehabilitation Center) while undergoing treatment?

A: No, even volunteers need to enroll in the residential program at DRC. Addicts are physically dependent on drugs and they need a period of detoxification to get out of this dependency. Few addicts, if any, can do this alone without help and supervision. Addicts also need to be away from their usual surroundings and the negative influence of friends in the early phases of rehabilitation.

Q: Are drugs given during the process of rehabilitation?

A: No. In the Maldives, narcotic substitutes are not used in rehabilitation. Only ordinary medications are given for any discomfort undergone by the recovering addict.

Q: Can a person in the Drug Rehabilitation Center come to Male on special occasions to be with his/her family?

A: No. It is not allowed because it impacts negatively on rehabilitation. However, families are allowed to visit the client at the DRC.

Q: Why are religious approaches not used in drug prevention?

A: Religious scholars are used in drug prevention and treatment programs to the extent that expertise is available in the Maldives. Islamic approach to drug rehabilitation is a specialized field. Only those scholars with special training can do it effectively.

Q: Why can’t the authorities stop drug smuggling?

A: No country in the world has succeeded in stopping drug smuggling. Even countries with easier borders and more resources such as Singapore have not achieved it. However with hard work smuggling can be controlled to a reasonable level, as in the current period (early 2006).

Q: What happens to the drugs that are seized by the police and the customs? Why aren’t they destroyed in public view?

A: According to the current regulations in force, seized drugs need to be kept as evidence till the trial relating to it is concluded. At present the regulations are being revised to facilitate earlier destruction of seized drugs.

Q: If I volunteer for rehabilitation can I avoid being prosecuted?

A: Yes. But there are conditions. You must come for treatment before you are arrested. Further, no immunity is available for other crimes you may have committed such as theft, violence etc.

The Challenge

Illicit drugs are a global impediment to the social and economic development of nations. The impact of the drug scourge has been particularly severe on the Maldives, threatening her prosperity, good health, and indeed her whole future.

In the past decade we have intensified our efforts to stop the drug menace. But we, as a nation, need to do even more to ensure that criminals, who put their own interests before those of the nation, do not take our common heritage away from us.

The lesson we learn from other countries is that drug abuse is a hydra-like multifaceted issue. It requires a balanced well-coordinated multi-sectoral approach, encompassing measures to stop illicit drugs from entering the country and to reduce the demand for them. Both these aspects are equally important and need to be given the same, high priority.

We, therefore, call upon all Maldivians, as indeed the international community, to support fully our efforts to eliminate the scourge of illicit drugs from the Maldives and beyond our borders. This is the challenge and we must commit ourselves to this challenge.