The Ministry of Social Development and Sports, through the Department for National Drug Control (DNDC), is currently drafting a Green Paper to seek ways to reduce drug abuse and increase rehabilitation in Bermuda.
The Green Paper was highlighted as an area of priority for Government in the 2017 Speech from the Throne:
Despite the severity of Bermuda’s penalties for illicit drug use, they apparently fail to deter criminal behavior. Given that the behavior is driven by addiction, punishments tend to be ineffective. Consequently, the Government has a duty to seek ways to reduce drug abuse and increase rehabilitation. The Government will publish a Green Paper for consultation to review Bermuda’s drug policies to discuss options to reduce drug abuse.
This Green Paper will fulfill Government’s commitment to evaluating Bermuda’s drug policy with the overall emphasis of reducing substance abuse. It is anticipated to be completed by July 2018.
Policy makers will be provided information related to drug control infrastructure; the drug situation in Bermuda; public perception on substance misuse and abuse; policy and legislative framework; and areas of priority.
“For an approach to be effective and lead to a solution for drug-abuse related problems, it needs to be comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and well-balanced,” said the Minister of Social Development and Sports the Hon. Michael Weeks JP MP. “Such an approach must be based on robust nationwide and inter-agency collaboration at all levels.
“This Paper represents an important step forward in addressing the challenges presented to us concerning substance misuse and abuse in Bermuda. The Green Paper, along with other publications of the DNDC, will provide a clear body of evidence that speaks to the way forward for drug control in Bermuda. I invite members of the public to be a part of the process, ask questions and, most of all support the DNDC as we continue to enhance the health and safety of Bermuda’s residents.”
Information-gathering on the public’s perception of substance misuse and abuse has already begun and is anticipated to conclude on April 20th. During this time, the DNDC will hold one-on-one meetings with community and sports groups, government officials and many other individuals. At the same time, various focus groups will be running that will engage young people, people who are in recovery from substance abuse, families and friends of people that have experienced addiction, and also people who are currently battling substance abuse addiction.
The Department will soon be launching a survey on public perceptions toward substance misuse and abuse, using standardized questions. This survey will collect information on public concerns related to substance misuse/abuse, drug availability, law enforcement and policy, as well as substance use prevention and treatment. The survey will collect information from a scientifically selected, nationally representative, random sample of 400 adult residents in Bermuda, 16 years or older, who volunteer to participate. Trained, experienced, and professional interviewers will be calling households to gather responses to the questionnaire via telephone interviews over the period of March 21st-28th. Selecting a random subset of the population will allow for the results to be very representative of the population in Bermuda and is more scientifically rigorous then convenience sampling which is when people are selected based on ease of access.
Anyone wishing to share their opinion on reducing substance abuse and increasing rehabilitation is invited to email the Department for National Drug Control at dndc@gov.bm or call 292-3049 between now and April 20th.
The DNDC serves as the lead government body responsible for the planning, drafting, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of appropriate drug strategies as indicated in the National Drug Control Master Plan.