JEDDAH, 4 January 2004 — Some 500 Jeddah schoolchildren turned out in support of a drug-free society at a meeting of the anti-drug department, police, hospitals and other official and voluntary agencies last week.
“The task is huge in spite of severe punishments for drug smugglers and addicts,” Col. Abdul Razzak Al-Zahrani, who heads the awareness section of the anti-drug department, told the meeting.
He said drug addiction could result in the destruction of families and multiply social problems. “As it is, jail sentences for drug smugglers and addicts can be 20 years or more. The individuals thus lose their jobs, business and social status,” he said, calling for concerted efforts to rid the country of drugs.
Awareness campaigns need to be increasingly directed at younger people, according to Sobhi Batterjee, president of the Saudi German Hospitals Group, which hosted the meeting. “It is possible for young people to wean themselves off drugs if they pursue a goal or ambition in life,” he added.
Samir Moosa of the SGH Academy stressed the role of families in keeping children away from drugs. “Families can help keep their children away from bad influences and thus contribute to the efforts of schools, official agencies and social organizations,” he said.
Psychiatric consultant Muhammad Khaled highlighted the psychological impact of drugs on addicts. “Drugs have been destroying individuals and families and also turning addicts into criminals,” he said.
