Saudi Arabia offers utmost care to recovering addicts: Nebras chief

MINA: The secretary-general of the National Committee of Narcotics Control (NCNC), deputy director general of the General Directorate for Drug Control, and chairman of the National Committee for Combating Drugs (Nebras) Abdul Ilah Al-Sharif said that there have been no recorded setbacks for recovering addicts in the past few years due to the effects of religious journeys in changing their behavior.
This declaration came in a speech delivered by Al-Sharif during a ceremony to honor recovering addicts from various parts of the Kingdom held in Makkah under the auspices of Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Naif, minister of the interior and chairman the General Directorate for Drug Control.
In his speech, Al-Sharif stressed that the leadership of the Kingdom has done its utmost to support addicts during their recovery process. He also noted that Hajj is a great spiritual journey and an intensive educational course for rebuilding the soul. Thus, the instructions of interior minister to arrange a Hajj journey for recovering addicts stem from his trust in their strong will and his keenness to prepare the best environment that helps their rehabilitation and social integration.
Al-Sharif said that such programs offer the recovering addicts programs to strengthen their faith and break the barrier of fear. He also stressed that the general secretariat of the National Committee for Drug Control will continue its journey through the “Nebras” project in cooperation with all involved authorities to achieve its noble aims.
On his side, the director general of General Directorate for Drug Control, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Zahrani, maintained that the Kingdom has been targeted with drug smuggling to affect its unity and Islamic faith. He also pointed out the country’s efforts in fighting drug smuggling both inside and outside the Kingdom.