New National Drugs Commission Chairman Rev. Andrew Doughty yesterday announced the appointment of a drug prevention officer.

Kimberley Jackson, who has been acting in the post, will take on the post full-time and take the anti-drug message into the schools and community.

The Bermudian worked with the disadvantaged in Detroit before returning to Bermuda to run a dry cleaning business and then joining the NDC in 1999 as a community development coordinator. She became acting prevention officer in February 2002 before taking maternity leave.

Rev. Doughty, who was appointed to the Government funded agency two weeks ago, said the NDC hoped to announce the appointment of a new CEO by Easter. But he said it could be September before a treatment officer and a research officer were appointed because these appointments were reliant on the CEO being in place.

Rev. Doughty said the new NDC board were fully behind keeping women's drug rehab centre Fair Havens open permanently.

The Smith's facility closed in December but was then re-opened for three months while new funding and a new set up are worked out with Government and the NDC.