NCNC intensifies anti-narcotics drive

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has stepped up its anti-narcotics drive through the National Commission for Narcotics Control (NCNC) to check its spread in the community.
Abdul Ilah bin Mohammed Al-Sharif, secretary-general of NCNC, made this observation here recently at an event attended by Saudi Ambassador to Australia Nabeel Al-Saleh and other officials.
Al-Sharif, who is also chairman of the “Nebras” program that seeks to protect young Saudis at home and abroad from the scourge of drugs and treatment of addicts, said its aim is to enlighten family members on the importance of preventive action by creating awareness about the harmful effects of psychotropic substances.
He said that around 71 percent of high school students experiment with drugs at the age of 12 to 18 years, while 5.8 percent are university students.
The meeting at the NCNC headquarters here was also attended by Abdul Aziz Al-Khudairi, Col. Rashid Al-Aridi, head of the International Cooperation Department at the NCNC, to discuss joint cooperation in the field of preventive mechanism of drug abuse.
Al-Sharif said that the organization has signed a cooperation deal with private investment sector for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. The committee is building hospitals and specialized centers to increase the number of beds in all the regions of Saudi Arabia.
According to him, NCNC is determined to set up an electronic academic training center under the “Nebras” project for training over 200,000 coaches in the Kingdom annually and up to a million people over the next five years.
“The easiest way to undermine a society is by destroying the mind. This can be done by letting the youth experiment with narcotics and getting them hooked. All members of the community must support the project, which is meant to check drug abuse” Al-Khudairi said.
Ambassador Al-Saleh called for the commission’s cooperation with Saudi embassies abroad to combat this scourge involving some students studying abroad.