Pubdate: Wed, 25 Mar 2015
Source: Khaleej Times (UAE)
Copyright: 2015 Khaleej Times
Contact:  http://khaleejtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/996
Author: Afkar Abdullah
Page: A1

SCHOOLS ARE COVERING UP DRUG CASES, SAY POLICE

Sharjah - Schools and even parents are covering up drug related crimes
among students in Sharjah, according to an official who was commenting
on a report compiled by the police's Anti-Narcotic Department.

Drug abuse in schools is a real social issue the country has been
facing for quite some time. In Sharjah alone, 925 school students have
been involved in drug cases in the past three years, according to the
report, a copy of which was shown to Khaleej Times by Major Mohammed
Ahmed Al Khumairi of the department. He said: "Schools in the emirate
were found to be covering up drug cases among students."

In 2014, the number of students involved in drug cases was 339, while
it was 379 in 2013 and 207 in 2012. Drug crimes committed by students
include consumption, possession and distribution, according to the
report.

He also said these numbers themselves are worrying, but they don't
reflect the reality. A large number of cases go unreported and
undetected. Iranian mother Bahar Poury's reaction to the possibility
of his son taking to drugs after being influenced by his peers in
school is typical of most mothers, rather parents, in the UAE. "If I
discover my son is using drugs, I will try to solve the problem
myself, but not report the matter to the police... No, I can't do
that," she says. Her son, in fact, had confided in her that many
students in his previous school used tramadol, a restricted analgesic
drug administered for moderate to severe pain. He also brought some
tablets home and showed her. She immediately informed the school
management but they did not do anything about the issue. Finally, she
moved her son to another school and started monitoring him and his
friends.

Drug abuse in schools is a real social issue the country has been
facing for quite sometime. In Sharjah alone, 925 school students have
been involved in drug cases in the past three years, according to a
report compiled by the police's Anti-Narcotic Department.

According to the report, a copy of which was shown to Khaleej Times by
Major Mohammed Ahmed Al Khumairi of the department, "schools in the
emirate were found to be covering up drug cases among students".

In 2014, the number of students involved in drug cases was 339, while
it was 379 in 2013 and 207 in 2012.

The report also says the drug crimes committed by students include
consumption, possession and distribution.

Commenting on the scenario, Major Al Khumairi said these numbers
themselves are worrying, but they don't reflect the reality. A large
number of cases go unreported and undetected. Curbing this crime
requires a collaborative effort between the police, schools and
parents. "Unfortunately, some of the schools have been covering up
cases and not reporting to police and, in some cases, even parents,"
he said.

He added that during investigation into these cases, many schools and
other educational institutions showed unwillingness to cooperate with
the police, which hampers efforts to curb the malaise which affects
the future of the children.

To this, schools say the parents react badly whenever they report any
issues involving their children in school, like violence, indiscipline
or drug abuse to them. Most parents do not tolerate schools reporting
their wards to the police, whatever be the issue.

Commonly used drugs Students mostly use tramadol due to its easy
availability, cheaper prices and strong effects.

Tramadol which is smuggled from Iran is very dangerous to the health
of the children, said Major Al Khumairi. Police and security
authorities are trying their best to curb smuggling of tramadol into
the country to protect the youth. Certain new types of drugs have been
found in students' possession of late, such as Dormicum (midazolam)
which is prescribed for short-term treatment of sleep disturbance;
Lyrica tablets used to control seizures and treat nerve pain; Legaflex
(carisoprodol) used for thwarting the feeling of pain in the nerves
and brain and as a sleeping pill.

Some students have been caught using Chaini Khaini (chewing tobacco),
which is not listed under the illegal drug list but is still dangerous
for children.

Symptoms of addiction

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Mohammed Abdul Rahim, specialist in
alcohol anddrug addiction rehabilitation, said schools and parents can
easily discover the students who use drugs from their behaviour. They
have to look for frequent absence from class, decline in the academic
performance, isolation, loss of appetite, weakness, excessive
sleeping, asking for money, bad temper and confusion.

Role of parents

When parents and schools observe such behaviour, they must immediately
intervene and confront the problem. Fathers have an important role in
this and should prevent the children from becoming addicts. They must
know about their children's friends and their activities, and must
inculcate religious and cultural awareness.

Mothers must not deny the existence of the problem but address it.
They must make sure that they do not blame the children frequently for
their family troubles, and desist from comparing them with the
children of other families.

Reasons for drug use The report says the main reasons for drug abuse
among school students is a lack of awareness about their dangers, bad
company, lack of stability in the family, lack of supervision,
harassment by parents, and lack of communication among family members,
especially in Arab families.

Headmaster, father speak out

Mustafa, headmaster of a private Arabic school in Sharjah who doesn't
want his full name to be published, told Khaleej Times that some
families get very upset if the school informed the police about the
children's inappropriate behaviour. Most of the time, the school
management informs the parents about such behaviour but they don't
seem to care. "We had parents coming to school and yelling at and
abusing teachers. Some even tried to be violent with teachers for
informing the police about the misbehaviour of their children. Most of
the parents refuse to accept the reality and think the school is
accusing their children unnecessarily," he said.

Mahi Al Khateeb, Syrian father of school-going children, said parents
are responsible for the behaviour of their children. The father must
be aware of his son's activities. "One day, I found out that my Grade
8 son had been smoking butts of cigarettes thrown on the floor. I
brought him inside the house and showed him the harmful effects of
smoking on the internet. He then asked me: 'Why are you smoking?' I
told him that I started it when I was ignorant and now I am not able
to quit it," Al Khateeb said.

"If I discover my son using drugs, I myself will try to make him stop
it at first. If I fail, then I will ask the help of the police," he
said.

What can be done

Major Al Khumairi urged schools and colleges to inform parents and
police when they detect drug use among students to protect them at an
early stage before they become addicts.

Community members, too, have been found to be not aware enough about
the dangers of the drugs used by the children. "During raids of houses
of students involved in drug crimes, we faced abuse and resistance
from mothers who don't understand that we are trying to rescue their
sons... so the department is planning to intensify awareness campaigns
targeting students and their parents," he said.

He urged parents to report to the police in case they detect abnormal
behaviour in their children so that they can intervene effectively and
early enough and save the children before they enter the addiction
stage. "Informing police about children involved in drugs is not a
shameful act. It is in their as well as the public's interest. We also
need cooperation of educational institutions."

He stressed that fighting drugs is a national duty which requires
planned cooperation between all parties concerned. "Preventing
addiction is a social responsibility, and parents must raise their
children in a proper way, give them self-confidence and educate them
about the dangers of drugs."
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