Efforts to combat drug addiction are being stepped up, reports Reem Leila A recent report conducted by the Youth Network for Combating Drug Addiction and Smoking has revealed that 69 per cent of people under the age of 35 believe taking drugs is harmful only over extended periods. Thirty per cent of respondents said drugs helped them to work for longer periods while 35 per cent reported using drugs to overcome depression and to be more humorous and witty. Twenty five per cent considered drugs a way of enhancing their creativity. The survey involved 10,000 participants in six governorates. It revealed that 29 per cent of young people had no objection to experimenting with drugs once. It also concluded that school students who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to become drug users than non-smokers. As part of the battle to shift such perceptions Mushira Khattab, minister of state for family and population, last week signed a memorandum of understanding between the Youth Network and 14 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). "In Egypt, as elsewhere, efforts have been exerted on different levels, harsher penalties have been imposed to combat the problem of drug addiction among youth, yet no distinct improvement has occurred, " stated Khattab. Drugs laws in Egypt are among the harshest in the world. Penalties for drug-related crimes range from hefty fines and life imprisonment to capital sentences. Since the Youth Network was set up in 2001 it has developed programmes to enhance the awareness of the dangers of drugs and tobacco among young people. The latest involved more than 18,000 people in 10 governorates: Cairo, Giza, 6 October, Alexandria, Fayoum, North Sinai, Gharbiya, Ismailia, Minya and Qena. "Our message, which is being delivered to school pupils and university students under the auspices of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and the National Fund for Youth will continue for the next five years," says Khattab. Many NGOs have already taken their own initiatives. The majority of addiction treatment centres are now run by NGOs and private organisations. Only two facilities in state-run mental hospitals are available to addicts. "Past experience shows the problem of addiction is one the government cannot combat alone. It has contributed to raising public awareness by organising conferences, training school social workers, holding seminars in schools and training students who can communicate with their colleagues about the dangers of drug addiction," said Khattab. Nahed Ramzi, a member of the National Centre for Social and Criminological Research (NCSCR), says the centre's research into drug use reveals that "people become drug addicts due to peer pressure, family problems, academic failure, cigarette smoking and low faith in God." "The majority of users were found to have begun using drugs under pressure from friends and others close to them." The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood's (NCCM) has its own programme to educate young people about the harmful effects of drug use and cigarettes. The programme, says Khattab, focuses on training NGOs on ways to raise young people's awareness about the harms of smoking and drug addiction. "The use of prescription drugs by school children and young people is becoming a serious problem in Egypt," she says. And the best way to tackle it, Khattab argues, is through making the education system more inclusive of the needs and rights of all learners. The NCCM scheme encourages schools to accept, rather than exclude, children with drug problems, to encourage children to talk openly about their difficulties, and trains teachers on drug related issues. "I believe that if we are to tackle the problem of drug abuse and sustain the rights of all children the Ministry of Education must adopt these kinds of initiatives nationally," says Khattab. Soheir Lutfi, a member of the National Council for Fighting and Treating Addiction (NCFTA), insists problems are most prevalent between the 15 and 25 age group. A study conducted by NCFTA revealed that addicts either die, end up in jail, or become mentally ill.
