Studies are underway at the Ministry of the Interior to forge a national strategy to fight drug abuse, which will be ready for implementation by 2003.

The strategy is based on reducing the demand for drugs and their supply.

Curbing the spread of drugs in the country and launching awareness programmes on the dangers of drugs are two paths towards this.

The strategy is being readied by representatives of the Ministries of the Interior, Health, Education, Justice , Labour, Higher Education and Information.

A number of officers of the anti-narcotic force have been sent to attend local and foreign drug fighting courses.

The strategy also includes setting up a national anti- money laundering committee. Members of the committee are from the Ministries of the Interior and Justice, and the Central Bank. The Cabinet has recently endorsed an anti-money laundering draft law.

The Ministry of Health's plan is based on curative and rehabilitation programmes. It bans the use of cocaine and its preparations for medical purposes.

The Ministry has also obliged all companies importing chemicals to fill a special form listing all chemical materials the company needs to import. The companies must now also obtain approval from the Ministry for the import of such materials.

No consignment of chemicals will be released by the customs authorities, unless that approval is produced. The curative plan stresses the importance of a central record for psychiatric cases, that provides data on their number.

The plan aims at reducing the use of opiates to treat psychological disorders and narcotic addiction and will concentrate on the opening of more psychiatric clinics, and launching awareness campaigns.

The plan is further based on creation of curative units for addicts, equipped with psychological and social consultants, and specialist nurses.

The treatment starts with admitting the patient to intensive care to eradicate narcotics from his body. He will then be encouraged to go in for sport and cultural activities within the institution while his blood and urine are checked for traces of narcotics.

A programme has also been designed for psychological and vocational rehabilitation. The plan also introduces "the Alternative Home" unit for cases that are prone to setbacks. In this unit the patient will receive treatment and entertainment.

The national strategy stresses that faults in the family structure are responsible for addiction and that the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is the closest ministry to the family.

The strategy confirmed that the role of the Ministry of Health is important, but it handles only 10 per cent of the controllable addiction cases.