DRUG USERS NEED EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO KICK THE HABIT

Representatives of Kenthea, the Centre for Drug Education and
Treatment of Drug Addicts, yesterday met with Labour Minister Antonis
Vassiliou, with the aim of increasing co-operation between the two
organisations.

Kyriacos Veresies, the centre's scientific director, yesterday told
the Cyprus Mail that, "we asked to see the Minister as he is
relatively new in his position and we wanted to discuss their
services, particularly the Social Welfare Office."

KENTHEA Chairman Chrysostomos, the Bishop of Kiti, also attended the
meeting where various issued were discussed in detail.

"The training given to social workers and social rehabilitation of
drug addicts were discussed, along with counselling given to families
of addicts," said Veresies.

"It's very important to try and give drug users every opportunity to
kick the habit, and we need to establish more rehabilitation centres
with different programmes and ideas in both the private and public
sectors as different people have different needs," he added.

"The Minister said he was aware of our role and is very satisfied with
the collaboration between us."

Kenthea, which was founded in 1994, runs a special open therapeutic
rehabilitation programme in all major towns across the island.

Veresies, a trained psychiatrist and neurologist, said the programme
"gives psychological support and offers a personal approach using
self-help groups".

In addition, the centre also runs educational programmes for
adolescents, parents and other organised bodies that are now
implemented quite successfully in municipalities and
communities.

In collaboration with the Municipalities and the Cyprus Youth Board,
KENTHEA operates counselling centres focusing on prevention. This is
an accessible community form of providing immediate help to drug
addicts and their parents with discretion and without bureaucratic
procedures.

Veresies described the problem of drugs on the island as "very
serious". He said Cyprus must change its drug laws and make them more
lenient.

"Now that we are in the European Union, we must harmonise our laws
with the rest of the EU and accept new realities. We currently don't
even differentiate between soft and hard drugs and the varying amounts
people are caught with, labelling all users under the umbrella of a
'druggie'."