Children as young as 11 are being treated for drug abuse at a specialist centre dedicated to helping women and young people with addiction.
The drug of choice for many is crystal methamphetamine, a powerful and deadly drug that stimulates the central nervous system.
Speaking at a two-day conference on addiction, Dr Hamad Al Ghaferi, director general of the National Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi, said young people need more education at an earlier age.
“Drug abuse starts from just 11-years-old,” he said.
“Children need to be taught about the dangers of consuming drugs - there is a shortage of leaders dealing with drug addiction.
“A new institution will be launched to train people on how to deal with drug addicts and the science of addiction.”
A total of 650 people have been admitted to the National Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi, with 63 referred to hospitals for treatment.
Forty-nine per cent of those who finished their rehabilitation programme at the Abu Dhabi centre started abusing drugs again.
Dr Al Ghaferi said 3,200 patients have been referred to the rehabilitation centre in Abu Dhabi since its 2002 launch.
Eighteen young female addicts are currently receiving rehabilitation treatment at the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation in Dubai.
It is a sign of increasing numbers of females and children falling into the grip of crippling drug abuse according to Dr Abdul Qader Al Khayat, who is board chairman of the centre.
“The women are aged between 18 and 24, and are currently receiving treatment at the centre,” he said.
“We treat female addicts, mostly Emiratis, in compliance with the latest medical, psychological and social methods within the framework of full privacy and confidentiality.
“The women-only section includes around two dozen beds equipped with all requirements needed by female addicts.”
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The recently opened women-only rehab section, where addicted women are offered specially tailored rehabilitation treatment programmes, takes into account the traditions and customs of Emirati society.
Doctors there said many of the younger woman falling into the web of drug addiction are succumbing to peer pressure, a desire to imitate others and a lack of parental control.
At the conference promoting the centre’s work, Dr Al Khayat said the unit has so far helped 335 men and women, aged 18-70 years to quit using drugs since opening in 2017.
Of those, 150 had been admitted for a period of at least two weeks, with some staying for up to two months.
“The rate of recovery has reached 60 per cent,” said Dr Al Khayat, who has called for urgent action to tackle the significant challenge of rising levels of substance abuse among young people.
“The number of women admitted to the centre is considered to be high. The figure indicates that there is a problem among this age group.
“The use of drugs between school students and in colleges need to be handled in a better way.”
Doctors have called for more research into the reasons behind the trend, and to find new solutions, with parents encouraged to work with teachers, health professionals and the police.
Those who receive rehabilitation treatment at Erada Centre join the centre voluntarily.
If the centre is contacted by a relative and the addict refuses treatment, a doctor working at the centre meets the individual to help convince them into therapy.
Both rehabilitation centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi follow up with their patients after being released.
Five people have contacted the Dubai centre for treatment for alcohol addiction. One 17-year-old claimed to have been addicted for several years.
“Recently, consuming tramadol has diminished but the use of crystal and methamphetamine is on the increase due to easy access,” said Younis Al Balooshi, director of awareness, research and public relations at the Erada Centre.
“Drug users use injections to consume methamphetamine and crystal, which is more dangerous.”
“Families of women, who suffered from drug addiction have faced up to the stigma and decided to find help.”
Dr Al Khayat has called to change the misconception about drug users and deal with them as victims and patients, whilst highlighting the need to fight addiction, raise hope among addicts and create a spirit of sympathy.
“The UAE and GCC countries are being targeted by narcotics traffickers,” he said.
“The number of drug busts, seizing tonnes of illegal substances and at least 20,000 pills or more indicates GCC countries are being targeted by international traffickers.
“Drug addiction has a significant impact on the individual’s mental health - drug addiction is an illness, not a crime.”
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
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The bio
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
