Vice-President Sebastien Pillay today presented the Prevention of Drugs Abuse and Rehabilitation Bill 2025, which calls for the creation of a new national agency to lead Seychelles’ response to substance abuse.
During his presentation, Vice-President Pillay noted that Seychelles once operated a similar body, the Agency for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation (APDAR). The agency dissolved after the 2020 election and its functions moved to the Division for Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DSAPTR) under the Ministry of Health.
Both Vice-President Pillay and the Leader of the Opposition, Bernard Georges, previously served on APDAR’s board.
The new agency will have a Chief Executive Officer, with oversight provided by a Chief of Staff working directly under the President’s Office. This structure places the agency under the President’s direct supervision. President Patrick Herminie played a key role in APDAR’s original creation and once served as its Secretary of State.
Vice-President Pillay explained that the agency will work to reduce the health, social and socio-economic consequences of substance abuse and the trafficking of illegal substances. He stressed the impact of drug use on young people and outlined the agency’s mandate to strengthen prevention services, treatment options and rehabilitation programmes. The agency will also coordinate and regulate non-government organisations that operate in the same field.
He emphasised that rehabilitation requires a collective national effort involving government and communities. He said the government aims to move beyond methadone distribution and expand access to broader rehabilitation services.
Vice-President Pillay warned that substance abuse has already claimed many lives and continues to affect families nationwide. He highlighted the financial strain on the health system and the impact on national productivity. He noted that a declining local workforce will force the country to rely even more on foreign labour.
Members of the National Assembly debated the bill throughout the day. Eighteen members voted in favour, while thirteen abstained.