Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, June 10th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior tweeted through his Twitter account: “Drug abuse is a scourge that ruins lives”. The tweet marks the start of an awareness-raising campaign launched by the Ministry of Interior at the countrywide level, to educate the public on the risks and dangers of drug use and abuse. The campaign will continue until July 15th under the slogan “they fooled me”.

His Highness Sheikh Saif also uploaded an expressive video to Twitter, highlighting the risks involved in taking drugs and the dangers on both, individuals and society, as well as the associated significant adverse effects. The campaign, held in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation Center, aims to raise awareness of community members about the consequences of drug abuse.

For his part, Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Sha’far, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior, stressed that the UAE has made strenuous and fruitful efforts to combat drugs and the various types of crime in order to eliminate this harmful scourge, which represents multi-faceted risks at the various social, economic and security levels. “The Ministry of Interior dedicates significant attention to combating drugs, as per the directives of His Highness the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior who is constantly following-up on the activities of anti-drug agencies and is keen to provide them with the necessary technical, financial and human resources, so as to enable them to carry out their duties in addressing this issue,” indicated Lt. General Al Sha’far.

In his speech marking the launch of the campaign, Lt. General Al Sha’far added: “The awareness-raising plans and programs implemented by the Ministry of Interior are intended for all segments of society and play a significant positive role in enhancing awareness of the public regarding all community and security issues. They are also intended to encourage addicts to quit using drugs by providing the appropriate environment to allow their reintegration into society. This is achieved through the initiatives implemented by the Ministry and relevant entities, which aim at assisting them in various ways, channels and programs designed to cure them from the effects of drug abuse, with a view to allow them to take part in the overall progress and development process taking place in the country.”

The Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior called upon all institutions to join the concerted efforts to curtail the risks of drugs on young people, particularly during the summer vacation, by filling their leisure time with purposeful programs and activities that are in line with the intellectual, educational and technological level attained by the UAE society.

Lieutenant Colonel Saeed Al Khajah, Deputy Director of Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department, stressed the importance of enhancing prevention efforts against these deadly toxins and to protect young people from this devastating scourge using various methods. “The campaign is organized at the countrywide level and will provide purposeful news materials that warn community members against the risks of falling prey to drug abuse and stress the need to avoid bad companions. The campaign will also feature awareness-raising activities via various print and audiovisual media, in addition to giant screens and billboards at shopping malls  and buildings in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates; as well as awareness ads on TV, radio channels and in local newspapers,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah.

He added: “The awareness-raising efforts will be intensified through social networking sites and the Ministry of Interior’s websites. Friday sermons will also be used to acquaint people with the campaign’s goals and raise their awareness on the serious damages of drug abuse.”

On the same note, Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah noted that the campaign includes extensive field surveys with the participation of different segments of society; with a view to gather their personal opinions and experience to issue warnings against drug abuse risks and their devastating effects on the family and society. The campaign will also include educational visits to citizens’ councils (Majlis) and awareness lectures on the dangers of drugs at summer camps, to urge parents to protect their children against drug abuse.

In conclusion, Lieutenant Colonel Al Khajah stressed the need for concerted efforts and to involve all community institutions in order to combat this scourge with all possible means. He also expressed his heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the entities that are participating in this campaign and their contribution to its success, so as to reach the various society segments, and protect the young generation from bad behaviors and build a cohesive family. These are the top priorities of the Government's strategy, as part of the attention dedicated by the country’s leadership to protect citizens from the scourge of drugs and its resulting serious damages to 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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