A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO COMBAT THE PROBLEM OF ILLICIT DRUG USE IN MAURITIUS

Illicit drug use is a multi-facet problem which is affecting around 246 million people world-wide (UNODC, 2015). The use of illicit drugs has increased over the years in the Mauritian population such that it is affecting the population at large, cutting across all age groups and classes, in particular touching the youngsters; at present 40% of youngsters aged between 15 and 25 years are consumers of the synthetic drugs in Mauritius (L?express, 2018). Such a phenomenon will ultimately result in massive dreadful health, social and economic implications. Thus, this paper tries to propose public health measures that can be helpful in curbing the current problem of illicit drug use in the island of Mauritius.