Drug use on the rise among Saudi students

High school students are increasingly using illegal drugs such as Captagon, an anti-narcotics official said.
Abdul-Ilah Al-Sharif, the assistant director general of Drug Enforcement (Preventive Affairs), said there has been a significant increase in the use of Captagon by students.
Al-Sharif said the National Preventive Program, which begins next year, will help to eliminate drugs usage among students.
Al-Sharif said that his organization has seized 123 million Captagon pills over the last two years.
While examining the samples of the pills, the central laboratories of the directorate found a variety of ingredients high in lead and anesthetic compounds that destroy brain cells.
Al-Sharif said youngsters should not fall prey to drug dealers and reject their claims that such pills can help students keep awake and study much longer. He said 65 percent of the psychiatric patients at Al-Amal hospitals are Captagon pill consumers.
Al-Sharif said the directorate was working with the Ministry of Education to create awareness at schools and universities about the dangers of using such narcotics.
Experts said that drug dealers may use the end-of-year examinations to target young people with these drugs.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Zahrani, director of Al-Amal Mental Health Complex in Dammam, said students are vulnerable to drugs especially during examinations period. Pupils are under psychological and physical pressure during examinations, making them prone to fatigue and exhaustion. They are also under pressure from families and parents to get high grades.
Under these circumstances, some students start using drugs, he said, believing that the substances can help them focus on their studies. Ahmed Al-Matrafi, a student adviser, warned that drug dealers would be hanging around schools as the examinations period begins.
Teacher Mohammed Hakamy said: “Parents have to watch their children constantly. Families should create a friendly environment in their house. They should prevent their children from studying outside the home. Parents should also follow their academic progress keenly.”
Khaled Dgriri, another teacher, said different ways can be adopted to fight drugs. Media must play its role to educate youngsters and highlight the damage caused by drugs.
He said schools should incorporate lessons about drug addiction in their curricula.
In addition, religious values should be instilled in youngsters from an early age and sports centers should be set up so that young people can use their spare time properly.
Teacher Ahmed Nasser said that students in middle and secondary schools are the most susceptible to being influenced by older students. This can affect the younger students’ education.
Saeed Saleh and Ali Kamel, parents, said drugs such as Captagon can harm young minds, ultimately leading to major mental and health disorders.