Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, June 25th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
The
United Arab Emirates will mark the International Day against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking under the slogan: “Choose Friends who care… Say
No to Drugs.” Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ammar Bin
Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, the celebration will be held
tomorrow, Thursday June 26th, at the Ajman center of the Ministry of
Culture, Youth and Community Development. Similar celebrations will be
held across all the Emirates of the country to raise the awareness about
the dangers of drug use and abuse.
Colonel Saeed
Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director General, Anti-Narcotics Federal
Directorate General at the Ministry of Interior, said that the
celebration will feature several performances and purposeful programs
that aim at acquainting the public with the harmful effects of drugs.
The activities will include an awareness-raising exhibition about drugs,
in addition to a documentary film screening that showcases the MoI’s
efforts in the fight against drugs, its role in promoting regional and
international cooperation to curtail the drug affliction, as well as its
efforts in organizing awareness programs about the harmful effects of
drug use and abuse.
Colonel Al Suwaidi also indicated
that the celebration activities will also include awareness-oriented
performances presented by a group of young people from the Ajman center
of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development. The
celebration will also witness the honoring of the various institutions
and individuals who took part in organizing and supporting the awareness
programs that have been held throughout the year; in addition to the
officers, non-commissioned officers, constables and female officers in
recognition of their excellence in the performance of their work and
discharging their duties in the best possible way.
Moreover,
Colonel Al Suwaidi praised the valuable interaction of all society
institutions and individuals with the awareness campaign about the risks
and dangers of drugs launched by the Security Media Department at the
General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister &
Minister of Interior under the slogan “They Fooled Me.” The campaign
embodies the MoI’s vision aimed at “making the UAE one of the best
countries in the world, in terms of safety and security”. “This would
support the efforts to combat and eradicate crimes and to protect all
community members,” he said.
Commenting on the event,
H.E Dr. Mohammed bin Ali Koman, Secretary General of the Arab Interior
Ministers Council, asserted that drug trade has witnessed rapid
development in the past few years, due to the growing developments of
communication technology in particular, and the increased reliance on
information systems and the internet. He said: “Drug promotion is no
longer limited to traditional means; it has evolved to new levels and
leverages websites and social media networks to promote all kinds of
drugs, including promoting psychoactive plants under the garb of
medicinal plants to improve the mood and stimulate the memory.”
Dr.
Koman added: “Despite the leading achievements made by the Arab
Interior Ministers Council and the significant successes of Arab
security authorities in combating drugs, it is crucially important to
double the efforts, not only by competent anti-drug agencies, but also
by all civil society institutions, mass media, educational institutions,
religious leaders and others. All these parties need to join forces in
order to raise the awareness of the public about the harmful effects of
drug abuse, by organizing various events such as conferences, seminars,
meetings, workshops, training courses, guidance lectures, awareness
exhibitions and specialized media programs.”
Dr. Koman
also pointed out the importance of complementing these efforts by
establishing sustainable developmental projects in the areas where drug
cultivation and production thrive and encouraging farmers to grow
alternative crops to compensate the the huge profits of drug
production. “Laws and legislations need to be enacted to cope with the
recent developments in the production and trafficking of drugs and
psychotropic substances, due to the legal insufficiencies related to the
use of some of types of drugs that have become an obstacle to the fight
against drugs on many occasions,” he continued.
Dr.
Koman stressed the importance of supporting security authorities and
other competent entities in their efforts to reduce the supply and
demand for illicit drugs and to eradicate the nefarious effects of drug
use and abuse. This could be achieved by building further projects of
addiction treatment centers, drug aftercare centers and rehabilitation
centers.
Towards the end of his speech, Dr. Koman
called upon every Arab national to be extremely cautious to avoid
falling prey to the drug scourge. He also urged Arab families to protect
their children against becoming vulnerable to temptations that may ruin
their life and destroy their future. He also encouraged families to
educate their children on the need to avoid the first free try of drugs
experience. “the success of drug prevention efforts is based on the
monitoring and educational role played by parents to immunize their
children against such harmful behaviors, nurture them safely, and
instilling the religious and moral deterrents in their souls,” he said.
In
conclusion, Dr. Koman expressed his hopes that this day creates an
opportunity to spread more awareness about the dangers of drugs and to
educate community members against their devastating effects. He also
hoped that by marking this day, this celebration will encourage
concerted efforts among civil institution and governmental agencies, as
well as regional and international efforts to curtail this scourge and
curb its effects. “These efforts should build on a positive,
comprehensive and constructive cooperation, which draws legitimacy from
the transnational dimension of drug trafficking, whose nefarious effects
are not limited to a specific society.”
For more information about:
The Ministry of Interior, please click HERE
Abu Dhabi Police, please click HERE
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The
Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official,
authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation
only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text,
which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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