The isolation, poverty, and relative lack of affordable community activities in the Galapagos have in part led to a high rate of drug and alcohol abuse within the local population. While this abuse causes major social and health problems in Santa Cruz Island (violence, theft, etc.), there are currently no options for those caught in these dangerous addictions. Along with drug and alcohol abuse often comes domestic violence, and the Galapagos is no exception.
Galapagos ICE hopes to work with the Municipal Government to create a center where those with drug and alcohol addictions can go for help. The center will also aid our domestic violence programs. While the government has the funding to build such a center, they do not have the logistics. We are currently looking for volunteers with ideas or information on the logistics of building the center as well as donations of books on methodology for workers and recovery for participants in the future programs. Once the program is up and running, we will be looking for volunteers to help within the center. These would include volunteers with experience in social work, counselors, music/art/occupational therapists, etc. It is our hope that the new rehabilitation center will help the citizens of the Galapagos break destructive habits and cycles and become healthy ambassadors of their home.
While we do not have statistics for the Galapagos Islands at the moment we know that alcohol-related crimes, medical expenses, injuries, lost productivity on the job, and treatment programs cost the US between 100 and 200 billion dollars. Alcohol is a factor in 150,000 premature deaths each year and in many other societal problems: on-the-job injuries-75%, drownings-70%, domestic violence-65%, murders-60%, suicide-55%, highway fatalities-50%, rape-50%, child abuse-45%, pedestrian fatalities-40%.
