Français
When the delegate from the French Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behavior (Mildeca) set foot on Tuesday December 17, she was not arriving in unfamiliar territory. Accompanied by a delegation from Mildeca, Valentine Fournier had just attended an international seminar in Martinique organized by the public prosecutor at the Fort-de-France Court of Appeal. The Mildeca delegate's relative proximity to the Northern Isles enabled her to accept the invitation from Vincent Berton, Prefect Delegate for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
Mildeca's mission is to coordinate the actions of the various ministries involved in public policies to prevent and combat drugs and addictive behavior. Valentine Fournier's presence, just a few days after the publication of a report identifying the French West Indies as a hub for drug trafficking, was therefore by no means insignificant. Nor was her visit to Saint-Barthélemy. The fight against drug trafficking knows no borders," explains Valentine Fournier. This dimension is valid throughout the Caribbean arc. "That's why it's so important to meet those in charge of internal security, as well as those involved in the socio-economic and health sectors.
The first meeting was held at the prefecture delegation in Gustavia. Accompanied by Prefect Berton, the Mildeca delegate then went to the Christopher to sign the charter for the prevention of addictive behaviours.vention of addictive behavior and health prevention in the workplace with Olivier Leroy, President of the Saint-Barthélemy Hotels and Villas Association. An opportunity to explore the realities on the ground.
In an environment that provides easy access to various addictive products (mainly drugs and alcohol), Olivier Leroy emphasized the "good father's behavior" adopted by the managers of the island's establishments. It's a constant accompaniment," assures the Christopher director. We've perfected this approach over the years. Even though we have unfortunately had to deal with some difficult situations. With this charter, we can go even further in our approach. "
Valentine Fournier, again accompanied by the delegate prefect, then toured the Irénée de Bruyn hospital, where she met a number of healthcare professionals. The delegation rounded off its visit with a tour of the gendarmerie brigade at Fort Oscar in Gustavia.
With regard to the information she was able to gather throughout the day, the Mildeca delegate did not mention any particular "surprises". In particular, she pointed out that the Prefecture is working with the Observatoire français des drogues et des tendances addictives (OFDT), a Mildeca operator, to build up a solid database on which to base a more effective fight against drug trafficking and addictive behavior. The Prefect referred the matter to OFDT last August.
In addition, as part of the fight against addictive behavior on Saint-Barthélemy, the Prefecture has asked the OFDT to extend the SINTES (Systè me d'identification national des toxiquesme d'identification national des toxiques et des substances), already planned for Guadeloupe, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, from May 2025. This system will make it possible to collect and analyze psychoactive substances consumed locally, in order to refine our knowledge of users on the two islands.
