Opinion: Socioeconomic Harms of Ineffective Drug Policies and Strategies

Despite the promise of the Drug Act, hailed by UNODC as a milestone in South Asia, decades of ineffective drug control by successive governments has left the Maldives with drained resources, overcrowded prisons, demoralised families, weakened communities and strained public finances.

Correctional Service data shows that nearly 80 percent of criminal convictions are drug-related, with prisons housing more than 1,100 inmates — among the highest incarceration rates in the region. Police records confirm repeated arrests of drug users, reflecting cycles of relapse rather than recovery.

The Ministry of Finance’s 2024 expenditure report shows that over MVR 250 million was allocated to correctional services, with a significant share directed toward prison expansion. By contrast, prevention programs are allocated less than 5 percent of the national drug budget.

The Ministry of Health’s 2021 Situation Analysis on Substance Use documented rising dependency rates among youth and untreated co-occurring mental health issues, underscoring the absence of comprehensive rehabilitation services.

Ineffective Services Draining Resources

Facilities such as the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre (DTRC) in K. Hinmafushi and Villunu Center in Seenu Atoll run by the National Drug Agency, operated as inpatient rehabilitation centres but do not follow international standards or principles. Both have become revolving doors, consuming resources without delivering sustainable recovery outcomes. The 2021 situational analysis highlighted high relapse rates among those discharged, confirming that these centres fail to provide evidence-based care.

Methadone Without Psychosocial Support

Methadone is currently provided in four cities across the country. While Methadone is internationally recognised as the gold standard medication for opioid use disorders, in the Maldives it is delivered without the necessary psychosocial support. Medication alone does not address the social, psychological, and behavioural dimensions of addiction.

An evidence-based, medically assisted, treatment program combines Methadone with counselling, relapse prevention strategies, and family involvement. Without this integrated approach, patients are left vulnerable to relapse, undermining both individual recovery and national investment.

Treatment Ignored Inside Prisons

The Drug Act 17/2011 mandates treatment for people with drug use disorders inside prisons; yet no government has implemented this provision. Instead, drug use and availability remain rampant within correctional facilities. Data from the Police and Corrections confirm high recidivism rates, demonstrating that incarceration without treatment perpetuates cycles of relapse and reoffending.

Building a Culture of Prevention

A comprehensive national drug policy must provide strategic direction for a whole-of-nation response, standing firmly on three pillars:

• Supply Reduction

• Demand Reduction

• Harm Reduction

The Socioeconomic Benefits of Prevention

Fiscal Efficiency

Prevention programs are far less expensive than incarceration or ineffective inpatient services. Every Rufiyaa invested in prevention saves multiple Rufiyaa in policing, prison expansion, and health care costs.

Productivity Gains

Prevention keeps young people in schools and workplaces, strengthening the national workforce and reducing dependency on social support systems.

Family Cohesion

Prevention reduces incarceration-related family disruption, protecting children from cycles of trauma and poverty.

Health System Relief

Prevention lowers demand for costly hospital admissions and emergency interventions linked to drug use.

Practical Solutions

Community-Driven Prevention and Outpatient Treatment

• Empower communities to deliver evidence-based prevention programs contextualised to Maldivian values and faith.

• Utilise existing health infrastructure and community resources to create outpatient treatment services, reducing reliance on costly inpatient centres.

Evidence-Based Treatment

• Strive toward creating the treatment system envisioned in the Drug Act 17/2011.

• Empower drug courts through training and exposure, ensuring they divert offenders into effective treatment as per their mandate.

National Drug Data System

• Establish a national drug observatory to integrate data from relevant stakeholders.

• Use evidence to inform policy, strategy, and resource allocation.

Economic Rebalancing

• Allocate one-third of the national drug budget to evidence-based prevention.

• Reduce spending on ineffective services and prison expansion, redirecting funds to prevention and reintegration initiatives.

The Way Forward

The Maldives must discard reactive, ad hoc policies and establish a culture of prevention. A national drug policy, grounded in research, evidence, and cultural values, will provide the strategic direction for a sustainable future. The choice is clear: continue pouring millions into prisons and ineffective services, or invest in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation that restore families, empower youth, and strengthen the nation.

About the Author

Ali Adyb is an internationally certified addiction professional and a global drug demand reduction master trainer with nearly two decades of career experience in reducing drug demand, while focusing on prevention, treatment, and recovery support.