Drug ‘shortage’… the use of this word is indeed ludicrous. It is however a sign of how drugs are a part of Mauritian life and that consumption has increased over the past years. Apart from the fact that it describes a somehow positive situation – the decrease in the offer should lead to a drop in drug consumption – the situation is not really clear.

While the commissioner of police asserts that there is no ‘shortage’, the prime minister has congratulated the police – and his government – for their good work that has led to the reduction of drugs in the usual spots. Who should be believed? The question remains unanswered.

Whether it is a real ‘shortage’ or one caused by dealers who want to sell their products at a higher price, the result is the same. The price of drugs has risen. Consumers know exactly where to find them and are ready to do anything to lay hands on their dose. So theft and violence have gone up and inhabitants from critical areas are scared and angry. They feel that the authorities are not doing anything to reduce drug consumption. Queues are getting even longer in zones known by consumers to always have products “in stock”.

According to social workers, the only way to reduce drug trafficking is to reduce its consumption by curing drug users. They insist that the latter should be considered as sick people and not as plague-stricken. “The problem is complex but the reality is simple. There will be drugs as long as there are drug users”, says Cadress Runghen, who has worked with drug addicts for more than 20 years.

Meanwhile, in sensitive spots on the island, the inhabitants are fed up and intend to make it known to the government. Some inhabitants of Résidences Kennedy in the Quatre-Bornes suburbs have started to protest. The same discontent can be seen in Karo-Kaliptis where there was a confrontation between drug traffickers and locals who wanted to say “Enough is enough!” One woman had denounced what she thought were traffickers and she had her house ruined soon afterwards. Her courage has to be acclaimed but it looks obvious that everyone is not ready to risk his/her life as she did.

The problem is that just one dose is not enough to satisfy drug users. As the quality is “worsening” – with dealers mixing pure drugs with other chemicals – drug users ever-increasing doses to achieve their ‘high’. Moreover, this poor quality of drugs also makes them even more violent. “A drug user with withdrawal symptoms is more violent than he was a few years ago.”

18,000 heroin users </B>