The Cyprus Addiction Treatment Authority (the Authority) announced that its budget is balanced for 2024, the first time in its history. The Authority’s Executive Director, Konstantinos Stylianou, revealed the development at a session of the Parliamentary Health Committee focused on the budget. He further explained that due to an increase in state sponsorship by 600,000 euros by the Ministry of Health, the budget is not in deficit as in previous years. Stylianou’s explanation points to the priority being placed on enlightenment and specific programs of addiction recovery.
The President of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Efthymios Diplaros, showed satisfaction with the increased budget and the balance achieved, stating that the issue of addiction is a serious concern that needs attention. He added that discussions on the budget would continue in the coming weeks, including the answering of questions raised by Committee members.
Other members of parliament, including Marina Nikolaou of AKEL and Chrysanthos Savvidis of DIKO, expressed support for the balanced budget and the work of the Authority. However, Nikolaou highlighted the need for more emphasis on prevention programs, while Savvidis voiced concerns over children’s addiction to electronic games.
