Govt focused on rehabilitation in tackling drug abuse, says president

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said the government's approach to addressing drug abuse is centred on rehabilitating young people affected by addiction and supporting their reintegration into society.

Speaking on the President's Office podcast Pulse on Friday, the President said tackling the country's drug problem requires addressing its underlying causes and called for cooperation between state institutions, families and the wider community.

He said the government's objective is to help people recover from drug addiction and enable them to become active members of society.

"Our objective is to rehabilitate young people who have become addicted to drugs and reintegrate them into society. The first step is to ensure that this is carried out through a sustainable and coordinated process," the President said.

He added that rehabilitation efforts would not succeed if individuals returned to drug use after completing treatment.

The President said the government intends to strengthen rehabilitation through a community-based approach and by encouraging greater engagement with religious practices as part of the recovery process.

He also linked the government's drug policy to broader social and economic measures, including:

President Muizzu said rehabilitation centres are currently under development on three islands. He added that rehabilitation programmes would continue through other arrangements until those facilities become operational.