Inhalants most widely used drugs among youngsters
The results of the 2011 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (Espad) show that inhalants are the most widely used ‘illicit’ drug among young people in Malta and the third most popular substance after alcohol and tobacco. Espad involved a data collection process among 105,000 European students from 39 countries last year. A total of 3,377 15- to 16-year-old students attending Maltese schools participated in the survey, which was carried out by means of a questionnaire. The results are a little bit encouraging since there is a general improvement over the results of the 2007 survey, but Malta has higher prevalence rates for alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking and lifetime use of inhalants. On a positive note, the country has lower prevalence rates for cigarette use and cannabis use. Justice, Public Consultation and the Family Minister Chris Said addressed a press conference at St Joseph Home in Santa Venera yesterday, saying that a law preventing the sale of inhalants to minors is currently being drafted. The law will prohibit the sale of butane, which is commonly used as lighter fluid, but could eventually be amended to cover other inhalants. Inhalants are products containing chemicals that cause feelings of euphoria or disorientation when inhaled. They are not necessarily illegal substances, but are very affordable and can be found anywhere. They include products such as lighter fluid, gasoline, paint thinner, nail polish, glue and felt-tip markers. Dr Said also spoke about the National Alcohol Policy, saying it has been drafted and discussions are currently underway with the major stakeholders.(independent.com.mt) Malta is known throughout Europe for those student parties.
Updated - PN Executive condemns JPO, Mugliett and Debono
Muscat insists PM must respect Parliament's verdict. The Executive of the Nationalist Party in a statement this evening condemned Nationalist MPs Franco Debono, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett over the way they voted in parliament on the motions against Carm Mifsud Bonnici and Richard Cachia Caruana. The Executive met for the first time since Parliament approved an Opposition motion of no confidence in then Home Affairs Minister Mifsud Bonnici, which was backed by Dr Debono, and the motion against Mr Cachia Caruana, which was backed by Dr Pullicino Orlando with Mr Mugliett abstaining. The Executive saluted Dr Mifsud Bonnici and Mr Cachia Caruana and thanked them for their years of service to the country. It urged them to continue to serve the country despite the personal attacks made against them. Dr Muscat speaking in Qrendi. Meanwhile, Labour leader Joseph Muscat, speaking at a PL activity in Qrendi earlier this evening, said that the prime minister's silence 48 hours after he had lost yet another important vote in parliament, was continuing to fuel uncertainty in the country He said Dr Gonzi was holding the country in limbo, to the detriment of the economy and the welbing of its people. He said that Dr Gonzi should at least react to the claim that a third of his parliamentary group had not wanted to vote with the government in the motion against Mr Cachia Caruana.(timesofmalta.com) A government must respect the decisions of the administration.
Increased monitoring of VRT stations leads to higher test failure rates
VRT failures related to vehicle emissions doubled last year from 2010 after Transport Malta intensified its monitoring of VRT stations. The enhanced inspection regime, brought about by the intensified enforcement actions undertaken by Transport Malta, resulted in a substantial increase in the VRT failure rate, both as regard the overall conditions of the vehicles tested and also the emissions related figures," the audit office said in a report on vehicle emission control schemes. The increased enforcement also saw an increased rate of VRT failures related to brakes, lights, suspensions and other checks. The audit office said that increased enforcement resulted in cautious VRT station operators preferring to fail a vehicle in border-line cases out of fear of being fined or having penalty points imposed. During the second half of 2010 Transport Malta developed criteria to enable it to identify testing stations which posed a risk to the integrity of VRT certification. The criteria included those stations which performed a high number of tests but whose failure rate was lower than the average by three percentage points or higher by five percentage points; those whose failure rate was seven percentage points lower or 10 percentage points higher than the average, and those stations which were the subject of three or more public complaints or had three or more infringements over the past three years. The profiled of 14 of the 37 testing stations fitted these criteria.(timesofmalta.com) It sounds logical.