With the purpose of revising the subregional drug demand reduction strategy, directors of the national drug councils of Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago gathered at a meeting organized by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 18 February. The subregional integration organization was represented by Mrs. Beverly Reynolds, Coordinator of Health and Human Development, and Ms. Tessa Chaderton-Shaw, drug policy consultant.
The event was supported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Substance Use Program, the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD/OAS), and the Cooperation Programme between Latin American, the Caribbean Countries and the European Union on Drug Policies (COPOLAD).PAHO presented two discussion topics: "The public health dimension of the world drug problem" and "The health and social effects of the non-medical use of cannabis."
During the discussion sessions, several topics of interest in the field of public health and drug policies were addressed, both, at country and subregional levels. They highlighted the need to advocate for the health aspects of drug problems with key actors and strengthen these aspects within the framework of drug policies.Emphasis was also laid on the importance of improving access to health services for problematic drug users, as well as their quality and the public dissemination of relevant information based on scientific research. Special mention was made of the existence of contradictory and biased information about the potential impact of cannabis use on health, mostly regarding its indications as a therapeutic agent for different ailments.
PAHO participation in this meeting is part of a cooperation initiative with CARICOM, to strengthen the public health response to problems related to drug use in the Caribbean countries.
