Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1367395
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 MAY 2021 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Cannabis teen use A number of risk and resiliency fac- tors that present themselves along the substance use trajectory have been mapped out as part of a comprehen- sive analysis of data on substance use in adolescence and emerging adult- hood commissioned and funded by Save A Life Foundation. Prevention remains one of the strongest mech- anisms that can counter substance abuse. Amongst other data collated from various studies and source, the study reports that the rate of cannabis use among 15-16 year-olds in Malta stands at 16 per cent, four percentage points lower than the EU average, although a third of Maltese adoles- cents in this age bracket perceive the drug to be fairly easy to obtain, more than double the rate of their European peers. Conducted by the Faculty of So- cial Wellbeing within the University of Malta, the study brings together the latest research covering alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, illicit drugs, non- medical use of prescription drugs as well as treatment demand and perceptions of young people towards substance use. The findings are now being pub- lished to equip those engaged in the effort against substance abuse and addictions with a deeper insight into trends among young people. Save A Life Foundation was es- tablished with a mission to better understand the causes of addiction problems and investing in projects intended to strengthen prevention in our local communities. Hon. Grech said that the study clearly underlines the importance of building policy on the basis of evidence and by drawing on the knowledge and depth of ex- perts. Professor Andrew Azzopardi, Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing, expressed confidence that the schol- arship will contribute to the academic, policy, political and strategy fields if decision-makers listen to the data. sure provide the cornerstone for the development of policy in this sector." The Executive Summary of the research is available at http://bit.ly/ SummarySaveALifeResearch. Save A Life Foundation Via email Lay state no more... THE letter by Dr. Colombo 'On the lay state' was a subtle and veiled den- igration of the local Catholic Church and fruit of the desired wish of his society to have the Catholic Church much less influential in the Maltese islands. Still it's got its merits as well inas- much as there was no mention of a godless Malta, which would have had the same effect – a secular state. There's nothing wrong with our Constitution. The religious freedom and worship of the various creeds was always guaranteed and protected. Even our civil authorities, through Parliament, never bothered or were impeded from enacting laws not ex- actly consonant with the Church and God's teachings in spite of Article 2, the religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church. In fact, just to quote one instance, instead of being proud of promot- ing stable family life as proposed by our bishops and the Pope himself when he was in Malta, by saying no to divorce and same-sex marriage diverged from this sound advice and legalized their introduction. So let them have their own way. But warn them what they are in for (Samuel). St Paul is of the same opin- ion "For there will come a time (and the time is now) when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but hav- ing ears will keep up to themselves teachers according to their lusts, and they will tear away their hearing from the truth and turn aside rather to fables". When the Church is no longer con- sidered as the loving tender "Mater et Magistra", it's time to ask Melita quo vadis? John Azzopardi Zabbar Clarification (and confessions) TO err is human, but to persist in error... utterly careless. It was er- roneously 'clarified' in the issue of 17 April, that the 'Marsovin' owner referred to in Alfred Sant's 'Confes- sions...' memoir, was George Cassar (after he was first attributed the photo of Tony Cassar on 11 April); but it is actually Joe Cassar that Sant referred to in his book. The error is regretted, doubly so.