Dubai centre to help fight drug addiction

Picture used for illustrative purposes alone

A new centre will be set up in Dubai that will help authorities fight drug use and addiction. In his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, issued a law on Tuesday, establishing the Erada (will) centre.
The centre will raise the community awareness on the negative effect of drug use and how to face and fight the menace.
The centre will provide therapeutic and rehabilitation services to those who voluntarily turn themselves in to the centre, or if they were admitted to the centre based on the request of family members, or on an order by the competent judicial authority.
The centre can accept as inmates those, convicted by a court of law of drug use and addiction, as per what the centre sees better fits it.
Besides provision of medical treatment and rehabilitation services, the Erada Centre provides inmates with the necessary psychiatric treatment in a professional manner and with respect.
Under the provisions stipulated in the federal law No 14 for 1995 on the anti -narcotics and psychotropic and amendments, the public prosecutor in the emirate may refer to the centre any person who voluntarily comes forward and gives up himself to the authority concerning the arrest, or according to a report by that authority.
"A criminal lawsuit will not be filed against that person unless he/she violates the approved treatment programme by the centre, and as per what is determined by the decisions issued by the centre as implementation of the law", the law added.
Board of directors
In this context, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, ordered the formation of the board of directors of the Erada Treatment and Rehabilitation centre.
The board will be chaired by Dr Abdul Qader Ibrahim Al Khayat, with Dr Ali Mohammed Shahin, Deputy Chairman of the board; Khalid Rashid Al Thani; Afraa Rashid Al Basti; Ibrahim Mohammad Abdullah; and Mohammad Saif Al Meqbali, as members of the board for a renewable term of three years.
As per the law, the centre shall draw the outlines and policies pertaining to the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addiction and use. It will also be charged with laying down the required strategic plans needed to be implemented.
The centre's main mission is to provide inmates with treatment and rehabilitation services, and shall work on integrating them in the society after they recuperate.
The law authorised the Erada Treatment and Rehab centre to provide a healthy milieu to inmates, and transfer them to specialised centres inside and outside the country, in circumstances that necessitate that.
According to the law, the board of directors of Erada Rehap and Treatment centre shall be the centre's higher authority. The board will assume the supervision on the centre so that the centre could fulfill its objectives and perform its missions and powers and operate.
What the law says
The public prosecutor in the emirate may refer to the centre any person who voluntarily comes forward and gives up himself to the authority concerning the arrest, or according to a report by that authority. A criminal lawsuit will not be filed against that person unless he/she violates the approved treatment programme by the centre, and as per what is determined by the decisions issued by the centre as implementation of the law.
 Wam
 
 

• Dubai