Family doctors ask for tools to do more timesofmalta.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofmalta.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Family doctors say they can do more if they are given more tools independent.com.mt - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from independent.com.mt Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
College of family doctors says public entities must retain environmentally and family-friendly measures of employees working from home while COVID remains a reality
Medical organisations on Thursday welcomed the proposed decriminalisation of cannabis and applauded the government’s commitment to direct users to treatment rather than criminal justice.
But their endorsement also included a list of warnings about regular use of the drug.
According to the proposed reform, cannabis users will be allowed to grow their own plants at home and legally carry up to seven grams of the drug for personal use.
In a position paper, the Maltese Association of Psychiatry (MAP) warned that early regular use is associated with symptoms of psychosis and bipolar disorder in younger people.
It noted that cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance among Maltese youths and it said it can affect brain maturation in a negative way.
Household gatherings need to be restricted further over Easter to stop the spike in COVID-19 cases, a number of medical associations have insisted.
In a joint statement, the associations welcomed the recent restrictions announced by the government, although they said that restrictions have sometimes been too little, too late.
They thanked all those respecting the directives but insisted that household gatherings are curtailed over the Easter period. Only a maximum of two households should be allowed and only because working parents may need to leave their children with other family members. Strict safety measures need to be adhered to, even within households, the associations said.