An approximate $880 thousand that was seized by the Costa Rican police from drug trafficking operations will be given to the Social Security Service (C.C.S.S.) to help patients that are battling substance abuse problems.

The Costa Rican Drug Institute (ICD) signed the agreement with the C.C.S.S. on Tuesday, March 20; the majority of the funds (approximately $600 thousand), will be used to remodel the area of comprehensive attention (New Horizons) of the National Psychiatric Hospital , while the rest will benefit the emergency health services in the areas of Los Chiles, Grecia and San Ramon (Alajuela); Liberia and Cañas (Guanacaste); Siquirres (Limon); Perez Zeledon (San Jose), Santo Domingo (Heredia); and Turrialba (Cartago) by offering more options of toxicological testing and analysis.

This is just the first contribution that the ICD will be giving the C.C.S.S. The agreement allows future funds seized from organized crime as well as funds that proceed from the sell of goods confiscated to these operations to be transferred to the health authority.

María Eugenia Villalta, Medical Manager at the C.C.S.S., explained that being able to offer better drug testing and analysis will also allow the authorities to determine which substances are being used and run specific statistics that will allow the enforcement of prevention programs and comprehensive care.

According to authorities from the Social Security Service, substance abuse generates an overload of the emergency services, since people under the influence of drugs attack others causing them severe injuries, drug overdose is also a problem, and there has been an increase in the number of patients that present behavior problems or mental illnesses as a result of the use of drugs.