The establishment of a Drug Treatment Court has been hailed as a step in the right direction from this country???s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean.
She expressed optimism for the Court???s work in offering rehabilitative methods as opposed to incarceration for drug abusers during a courtesy call at their Ministry with the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Ambassador Paul Simons.
Senator McClean said the establishment of a Drug Treatment Court was ???not only beneficial to the country, but to individuals and their families.
At the end of the day, the families probably feel a significant portion of the difficulties of having to deal with a drug abuser. That is an issue but the bigger issue perhaps, is saving people from the consequences of drug abuse. So, it is an interesting page that we are turning,??? she added.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Simons, who attended the launching ceremony of the Court in the No.3 Supreme Court on Tuesday, explained that initially four countries were signatories to the programme in 2010, but this number had now grown to 11.
julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb