By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Guyana has launched its first National Early Warning System on Drugs, an initiative designed to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect and respond to new and emerging drug threats. Tiana Cole reports.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Drug Information Network (GUYDIN), on Thursday launched Guyana’s first National Early Warning System on Drugs, accompanied by a stakeholder workshop.
The initiative aims to enhance institutional coordination, improve public safety, and integrate scientific data into national policies and law enforcement responses.
Director of CANU, James Singh, highlighted the system’s proactive approach in identifying new psychoactive substances that often imitate traditional drugs but evade detection and regulation.
“What we have discovered is that there are new psychoactive substances that mimic traditional drugs but often evade detection, legal classification, and treatment protocols,” Singh said.
He explained that these substances are frequently marketed deceptively, posing major public health and security risks.
“We are not waiting until it’s at our doorstep; we are being proactive,” Singh added, noting that the system will allow Guyana to anticipate drug threats rather than simply respond to them after they appear.
Pernell Clarke, Research Specialist at the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), stated that Guyana is now the seventh country in the Caribbean to implement such a system.
“Particularly from new psychoactive substances as well as from existing drugs, the system allows for alerts and warnings to be disseminated so that target populations are informed about the potential dangers of consuming these substances,” Clarke noted.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Andre Ally, speaking on behalf of Minister Oneidge Walrond, emphasized that the program’s success hinges on collaboration among agencies across borders.
“This collaboration ensures that intelligence and lab findings are not confined by borders but shared in real time to protect our people. It is proof that when we work together, the region is stronger, safer, and more resilient,” Ally remarked.
The launch marks a significant milestone in Guyana’s ongoing effort to modernize its national drug control strategy and protect communities from the evolving landscape of illicit narcotics.
