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Cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin & synthetic most popular with Maltese youth

Cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin & synthetic most popular with Maltese youth
Mar 29 2023 Share

According to the newly released National Drug Policy, research has shown that cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin, followed by new synthetic psychoactive substances, are the most commonly used drugs among the younger age cohort. 

This is reportedly the case the world over, with psychotropic medication, such as tranquillisers and antidepressants, being the most widely misused prescription drugs in the age cohort of 35 and over. 

Many more males than females use drugs while this is the reverse with respect to the misuse of prescription medication. 

This has led the judiciary and law enforcement to focus on reducing the supply of drugs by preventing trafficking to our islands. This was coupled by work to dismantle drug crime organisations. 

Over the years, drug law offences have on average been around 500 each year, with some 75% of these having been for possession. The remaining 25% were for trafficking. Here, the two main drugs were cocaine and cannabis. 

Read the full report here.

#MaltaDaily 

Minister urges banks to stop discriminating against former inmates

Minister urges banks to stop discriminating against former inmates
Mar 29 2023 Share

Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Minister Byron Camilleri delivered a speech in parliament to urge banks to stop discriminating against former prison inmates wising to open up accounts after rehabilitation. 

Citing an anecdote of a former prisoner who reportedly found employment after release but was turned away by a local bank despite having learned new skills and rehabilitated himself. 

The Minister said that he intends to reach out the banks to ensure that former inmates are not being turned away from this right.

The discrimination, Camilleri said, makes these individuals feel as if they are limited in their options in starting a new life. ‘Is society trying to convince these people that it is not worthwhile trying to change or rehabilitate’ he asked, rhetorically. 

Thus, Camilleri intends to work closer with the banks to ensure that these people are no longer victimised and get a newer chance at life. 

#MaltaDaily 

‘The rapist is you’: protest flashmob outside Msida police station

'The rapist is you': protest flashmob outside Msida police station
Mar 29 2023 Share

Activist group Moviment Graffitti held a flash mob on Tuesday in front of the Msida Police Station to protest the unrest and senseless acquittal of a former police officer charged with raping and harassing a female colleague on multiple occasions in 2018.

 

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The protest saw the activists performing a piece called ‘The Rapist is You’, which is a well known performance piece originating from Chile. 

The protest targets the blaming of sexual assault victims, with the demonstration reframing the scenario through the chant of ‘It wasn’t my fault: not where I was, not how I dressed. You are the rapist. It’s the police. The judges. The state.’

Moviment Graffitti highlighted how in a verdict last week, a judge ‘unnecessarily mentioned that the woman had avoided answering questions about her personal life, and ruled that the accused’s confession to raping his colleague could not be considered evidence because the caution was not administered according to the law at the time.’ 

‘In light of the insensitivity we witnessed, we reiterate calls for quicker judicial procedures, stronger training to the judiciary and a culture within our Justice system that regularly resorts to external rape trauma experts that can show empathy to victims’ the group said.

The protest was backed by other activists groups such as Young Progressive Beings, MGRM and the Women’s Rights Foundation. 

#MaltaDaily 

Pepsi update their logo after people kept drawing it wrong

Pepsi update their logo after people kept drawing it wrong
Mar 29 2023 Share

It was reported by CNN that whenever PepsiCo asked people to draw their logo, many would draw a circle with the red, white and blue stripes and place the name of the brand smack in the middle of the rounded shape.

However, that’s not how the logo actually looks, with the brand name off to the side. In fact, the last time the brand name was in the middle was all the way back in 1997.

After that, the brand name was always somewhat or fully outside of the circle. This prompted PepsiCO chief design officer Mauro Porcini to embrace it and change up the logo. 

On Tuesday, the soft drink brand revealed a brand new logo which will start to roll out first in North America and then globally next year. 

It brings back the 1990s version of the logo which has seemingly stuck in the zeitgeist, adding a bit of a modern flare to it. With a history of over 125 years, the 2008-2022 logo was deemed as not showing the ‘bold and confident brand’ that Pepsi truly is given the lower case, italicised title next to the globe.

Meanwhile, and as with almost all soft drink companies, Pepsi is using this rebrand to push for their zero sugar products as well as other tastes, which include Wild Cherry. 

#MaltaDaily