President Says Drug Problem Needs Root Causes Fixed, Not Quick Fixes

MALE’ — President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said that the government’s approach to the country’s drug problem goes beyond enforcement and rehabilitation, and that housing shortages, lack of employment and inadequate education are among the underlying causes that push young people toward drugs and crime in the first place.

Speaking on the third episode of The Pulse, a podcast series released by the President’s Office, President Muizzu said the goal is not simply to rehabilitate users and return them to society, but to ensure they do not end up back in the same situation. He said a system that rehabilitates someone today only to see them reoffend tomorrow is not a system that works.

“Rehabilitating today and locking up again tomorrow is not a coherent approach,” he said.

The President said the government wants a community-based rehabilitation model grounded in Islamic principles, one that builds in young people a commitment to religion and a genuine resolve to leave drug use behind, rather than simply processing them through a facility and releasing them.

He identified several root causes the government is working to address alongside rehabilitation: the housing crisis, limited job opportunities for young people, the absence of income-generating options for women at home, gaps in the health system and insufficient access to education. He said none of these connections are coincidental.

“Housing, employment, income opportunities, health and education are all connected to the root causes that drive young people into drugs or crime,” he said. “Surface-level interventions will not solve this. The government is addressing root causes in a meaningful way, in a way that produces real change.”

President Muizzu also disclosed that a specific area within Uthuru Thilafalhu has been identified for a new rehabilitation facility, which he described as one of the most modern of its kind. He acknowledged the project is expensive and that securing financing has taken time, but said proposals are currently being evaluated and that construction work is expected to begin soon, with results expected within the current government term.

Friday marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.