Fifteen minors need immediate support from a Closed Treatment Center due to their dependence on addictive substances. At the same time and according to the Cyprus Addiction Treatment Authority, in recent years there has been a vertical increase in the number of minors seeking treatment due to their addiction and according to the Authority, in 2017 the number of these minors reached 112, at the time 2010 was only 37.
These data oblige, as it is established, the Cyprus Addiction Treatment Authority to proceed without further delay to the announcement of a tender for the operation of a Closed Treatment Center for Minors with a problem of use / abuse of addictive substances.
It was presented yesterday to the Council of Ministers and approved, by the Minister of Health Konstantinos Ioannou, the procedure for the operation of the Center and can be promoted immediately.
Specifically and according to the data that accompanied the proposal of the Minister of Health, at the moment there are around 15 underage boys and girls "who could benefit from such a closed program". At the same time, as stated, "the needs of the specific groups of minors who are expected to benefit from the program can not be met by the existing open programs, since in order to address their multiple serious needs, it is cooperation with other bodies and ministries ".
It is recalled that the decision to create a closed Center for minor users was taken by the Council of Ministers at the end of last November. However, due to the new needs that have arisen according to the Competent Authority, "for reasons of public interest, the announcement of a proposal for the operation of the Center should be promoted immediately". The project concerns the service of underage users with a lack of a supportive family environment, underage users whose use profile requires intensive treatment and underage accused users or drug addicts. The Center will operate on a 24-hour basis.
Source: Philenews / Marilena Panagi