Lakaz A Turns 40: Addiction Hurts Whole Families

Lakaz A, one of Mauritius's most recognised centres for addiction support and rehabilitation, celebrated its 40th anniversary this week — a milestone that prompted deep reflection on the island's ongoing battle with substance dependency and its ripple effects on families and communities. Speaking at the commemoration, Bishop Durhône delivered a message that cut to the heart of the issue: 'Behind every addiction, there is a family that suffers.' The remark served as both an acknowledgement of Lakaz A's four decades of frontline work and a call for Mauritian society to broaden its understanding of addiction — not as an individual moral failing, but as a collective wound. Founded in 1984, Lakaz A has operated from a place of compassion and community, offering counselling, rehabilitation programmes, and long-term support to individuals struggling with alcohol, drugs, and other dependencies. Over four decades, the organisation has quietly become a pillar of the country's social welfare fabric, working in close partnership with the Catholic Church and various civil society actors. What makes this anniversary particularly significant is the context in which it falls. Mauritius continues to grapple with rising rates of drug use, particularly among young people, and the social consequences — broken homes, unemployment, crime — remain deeply felt in both urban and rural communities. Despite increased government intervention and public awareness campaigns, demand for services like those offered by Lakaz A shows no sign of slowing. The editorial insight here is worth pausing on: while much of the public debate around addiction in Mauritius focuses on enforcement — policing, sentencing, border control — organisations like Lakaz A represent the quieter, slower, but arguably more durable side of the response. Rehabilitation and family support do not make headlines the way drug busts do, yet their impact may be more lasting. Bishop Durhône's words are a timely reminder that behind every statistic on drug dependency is a mother, a father, a child, or a sibling navigating a reality that rarely makes the news. As Lakaz A enters its fifth decade, the challenge for Mauritius is to match the dedication of such organisations with the resources, policy attention, and social empathy they deserve. Four decades in, the work is far from over — but the foundation built by Lakaz A offers a model worth scaling.