Drug abusers in schools beware, the cops are watching

Picture used for illustrative purposes only

Security officials have been appointed at schools across the UAE to monitor cases of drug abuse among students, a top police official has said.
"The officials will deal with drug abuse cases before they worsen," said Lt.-Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Police and General Security and Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Council. "The country is on high alert to combat drugs among students."
He was speaking at a Press conference to launch a National Programme for the Prevention of Drug Abuse.
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Lt.-Gen. Dhahi Khalfan called for capital punishment to be imposed on those found guilty of drug trafficking or promotion. "They are killing our children. They must be punished the same way," he said.
He stressed that anti-narcotic officials across the country have been mandated to arrest at least 95 per cent of drug-related suspects.
Colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director-General, Anti-Narcotics Federal Directorate-General, said: "I showed the indicators of arrests of drug abusers to Lt.-Gen. Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. We assumed that he would appreciate us, but instead he asked us: 'What did you do to protect these young people from falling into the traps of drugs dealers?" Therefore we adopted the strategy of drug prevention and awareness."
Read: Schools, parents in UAE hiding drug abuse cases from police
He said 64 per cent of Emirati drug users - who were rehabilitated - went back to drugs again. "This reflects the imbalance in the aspect of prevention and their integration in the community."
Lt.-Gen. Dhahi Khalfan said National Anti-Narcotics Council faces several challenges, including modern drugs which are difficult to detect and control.
He stressed that the latest United Nations report indicated that 500 new types of drugs were released in the last four years.
He added that one of the challenges in solving the drug menace was poor coordination between drug combating authorities, both domestic and international, to solve the problems through a strict strategy.
Read: Expert: Painkillers top list of prescription drug abuse
Beware of the iron fist
Lt.-Gen. Dhahi Khalfan warned citizens and residents that the police are sending out a loud and clear message that action would be taken against anyone involved in drugs. The police will deal strictly with the suspect as soon as they receive information, he added.
He called up on schools to cooperate with the police and enable the appointment of security officers who will monitor all aspects related to drugs and provide immediate feedback so that action can be taken. The initiative will be in place with the agreement of the Ministry of Education which was signed six months ago.
He stressed that early detection of drug-related issues will help reduce the risk.
The Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Council called on parents to keep a close eye on their children.
Colonel Saeed Al Suwaidi said the national programme for the prevention of drugs, 'Siraj' aims to raise awareness among the community and individuals about the dangers of abuse, pointing out that it affects the human being in four ways - happiness, companionship, coherent family and healthy body.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai