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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom