Pubdate: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 Source: Gulf News (UAE) Copyright: 2003, Al Nisr Publishing, LLC Contact: http://www.gulf-news.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1604 Author: Shadiah Abdullah ANTI-NARCOTICS DAY DAWNS WITH CALL TO REIN IN ADDICTS Dubai From roasting ants in the 1970s to using designer drugs in 2003, addicts in the UAE have gone through the entire hellish trip. They have sniffed glue, smoked hashish and injected themselves with heroin. Observing International Anti-Narcotics Day, which falls today, UAE law enforcement agencies are trying to find ways to be one step ahead of this habit. Not only do they have to grapple with traffickers who have devious ways of smuggling narcotics, but also tackle an increasing number of drug abusers, some as young as 12. According to the United Nations, the number of drug addicts worldwide is around 13 million, 82 per cent of whom are below 30 years. The profits from the drug trafficking trade worldwide is estimated at $690 billion. With the onset of summer holidays, UAE authorities have urged parents to be extra vigilant as this is the time when most youngsters get hooked. Warning parents not to let their children travel unsupervised, Col Abdul Jalil Mehdi Mohammed, Deputy Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, said the majority of drug users take their first dose abroad. Also during summer, idle youths are lured into illicit activities like sniffing glue or trying out other hallucinogens. Statistics from police revealed that 75 per cent of drug abusers prefer hashish, 13 per cent use heroin while six per cent use morphine. "The real hardened addicts are ones who are hooked on heroin. This is a tragedy as many die either because of overdose, poisoning or simply because their bodies cannot cope with the lifestyle anymore," he said. As for 'designer drugs' such as Ecstasy, Col Abdul Jalil said the use is still limited to Western expats here. He pointed to a relationship between abuse and level of education, saying studies by Dubai Police have shown that 75 per cent of drug abusers were holders of preparatory grade certificates. Only two per cent were university graduates. Peer pressure is one of the major reasons that prompt people to take to drugs. "Such friends taunt their peers using phrases like 'You aren't man enough if you don't try it!' So many try it out of curiosity" Another factor is the inability to cope with seemingly insoluble problems. "This is a major factor amongst the youth who come from broken homes and want to fill the void of a lost parent," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom