The international congress of ISAM (Society for Addiction Medicine) was launched, and which over 300 foreign professionals are here. The congress will be spread over three days, and will be addressing addictions in the context of a pandemic, with discussions that will create more awareness on how a person can show more resilience in delicate situations such as that of the pandemic.
The Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights Michael Falzon opened this congress, which is being organized in collaboration with the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) and the Old University in – Valletta City.
In his address, Minister Falzon spoke about the importance of understanding that behind every addiction there is a person and their family members, and therefore we should empathize, tolerate, and help everyone who unfortunately ends up caught in this net. He expressed his concern for situations where society may pay less attention to these people, especially in the context of a pandemic and international instability, which have affected each and every one of us.
“We want to meet unexpected scenarios, through effective planning and training for our professionals. We can’t just react, and we should offer a proactive policy that addresses challenges related to addictions as well as others that can lead to more detriment on that person. In recent years we have seen rehabilitation programs working that have changed the direction of that person’s life, and this gives us more courage to expand our operation and address sensitive situations”, stated Minister Michael Falzon.
During the introduction of this congress methods were discussed on how certain modules can be taught in early phases in education in order to create more knowledge from a young age. Ideas were discussed about the need for more education about the anatomy and functions of the brain in a normal social context and the difference in the brain of a person who abuses drugs.
In this congress emphasis is being placed so that relevant studies in the field are followed in practice. A clear example of this is the introduction of the drug buprenorphine, to replace methadone in the treatment of people with heroin use problems. This is actually already happening in Malta as part of a pilot project. Another discussion was about the use of Narcan, a spray that can reduce the likelihood of a heroin overdose.
The Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights will be closely following the outcome of this congress so that it can include recommendations during the public consultation related to the drug policy that will will be launched in the coming months.
