Heroin use among Seychellois cause for concern |20 June 2018

Heroin use among Seychellois has increased twofold since 2011 with a current estimated heroin drug-users population of around 4000 to 4800.

This represents 6% of the country’s population, although it is suspected that the numbers may be higher than estimated.

It is estimated that around 1700 to 2000 of these heroine users are injecting drugs, although it is suspected that the numbers may be higher than estimated.

These findings, from an Integrated Biological and Behaviour survey on heroin users, were revealed yesterday in the National Assembly by Designated Minister Macsuzy Mondon.

Minister Mondon was accompanied by the secretary of state for Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Patrick Herminie and Benjamin Vel, one of the key people who coordinated the survey in October 2017.

The findings of the survey establish the magnitude of the heroin problem and prevalence diseases related to heroin addiction such as HIV/Aids and Hepatitis C.

400 heroin addicts from Mahé, Praslin and La Digue aged 15 and above participated in this survey which depicted the jarring and brutal state of the country’s drug situation.

“The last time such a survey was conducted was in 2011 and it was important to conduct another one given the change in demographic and increase in the number of people who have fallen victim to heroin,” Minister Mondon highlighted.

Mr Vel explained that the typical profile of a heroin user indicates that they are mostly male, largely unemployed and mostly around 20-29 years of age.

More than half of the survey’s participants are parents, with a large proportion of that demographic being single, and 63% did not pursue further studies after their secondary education.

In the 36% who inject heroin, 18% are aged 15 to 19 years, 93% inject every day and, most worryingly, 31% have admitted to sharing drug-related paraphernalia such as needle.

The study has also shown that 19% of participants engage in sex work in order to gain money for their addiction.

“Even with the risky behaviour they engage in, 44% of participants said that they did not use a condom the last time they had sexual intercourse,” Mr Vel further added.

A study conducted in 2011 concluded that there is significant gap between the prevalence of HIV/Aids in those who use heroin and those who eject, with the first being 8% and 13% in the latter.

It is the same case for Hepatitis C whereby another study in 2015 established that the prevalence in heroin users stood at 36% while for those who inject stood at 76%.

SS Herminie warned the members of the National Assembly that more needs to be done in terms of care and rehabilitation of these individuals rather than imposing punitive measures.

“We need more resources to be able to recruit psychologists and therapists to deal with these type of situations,” he asserted.

“As a country we use millions to treat diseases incurred through the abuse of cigarettes and alcohol, even going as far as sending them overseas for treatment. Drug addiction related diseases are real and we have to find a way to deal with them in a similar way, and not ignore these problems.”

Concerns brought to the forefront by the members of the National Assembly included the possibility of a needle exchange programme in prison and the efficiency of the current methadone treatment programme.