‘Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum’ Organizes Awareness-raising Session on the ‘Fight Against Drugs and Addiction Risks’
AMMAN – Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAG-KF), a member of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), in collaboration with the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) has organized an awareness-raising panel discussion entitled ‘The Narcotics Dilemma: The Fight against Drugs and Addiction Risks’. The session was held under the patronage of HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of TAG.Global, with the attendance of Colonel Fawaz Al-Masaaed, head of the Judicial Division at the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND), and Dr. Mousa Dawoud Al Tarifi, president of the Jordanian Association for Combating Drugs.
During the session, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh welcomed the participants and the audience, commending the significant efforts of the Department and the security apparatus and their crucial role in protecting the Jordanian community from the various negative phenomena that harmfully affect the texture of the society and the efforts of civil society institutions.
More specifically, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh underlined the need of protecting young people who represent the future of the country; as they are the most vulnerable segment in the society to the dangers of drugs, stressing the importance of following up and reporting any cases of abuse or illicit trafficking.
He further, proposed a project within a community youth framework to end this problem - by the youth themselves - especially since they may be the most motivated to use drugs.
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also drew attention to the social responsibility he carries out through all TAG.Global’s firms in protecting youth as well as developing and sharpening their skills and capacities. He stated TAG.Global’s readiness to provide its services in all fields to contribute to any project that serves the youth and the Department’s efforts to fight this problem.
For his part, Colonel Al-Masaaed briefed the attendees on the Department’s efforts in the prevention, awareness-raising and treatment of drug addiction.
He referred to the reality of the drug addiction problem in Jordan and the means of fighting it, in addition to the importance of cooperation among all the community’s public and civil institutions in addressing such a dilemma.
In the same context, Colonel Al-Masaaed confirmed the need of raising youth awareness as well as all community members concerning drugs' risks in general, urging them not to accept the use of any types of drugs in any forms. He clarified that drugs are blind substances that do not differentiate between good and bad persons, between males or females, young or old. He pointed out that the Addiction Treatment Center has, unfortunately, recorded many sad stories in this area.
Furthermore, the Colonel reviewed Jordan's significant achievements in the fight against drugs, since drug abuse is criminalized by Jordanian law. He indicated that the relevant authorities in Jordan are working closely to fight the spread of this chronic disease by bringing to justice drug dealers and promoters, not to mention the services offered by a specialized center for addiction treatment.
For his part, Dr. Al Tarifi affirmed the importance of after-care, noting the rates of setbacks are high globally and locally, where more than 50% of those recovering from addiction return to use after the end of their treatment journey.
Dr. Al Tarifi proposed solutions, the most important of which is the Association's experience in launching the Dopamine Adventure Project; a project that attracts recovering addicts in sports programs such as camping, hiking, and traveling sports. He indicated that all recovered addicts who joined the project have never used drugs again.
During the session, which was held in the presence of a group of academics specialized in counseling, mental health, youth representatives and a number of media professionals, the participants discussed the most effective ways to reduce the drug abuse problem in cooperation with all segments of society, since overcoming of this problem needs to join the forces of all concerned stakeholders at all levels.
At the end, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh gave an Honorary Shield to the Anti-Narcotics Department for their efforts in raising awareness among the society on the drugs dangerous. On the sideline of the session, the Department organized an awareness-raising exhibition on drug types, while brochures and booklets on this issue were distributed.
It is worth mentioning that the session was organized on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; or World Drug Day; marked on June 26 every year, which was endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations as an international day to fight drug use and illicit trafficking. This global awareness day aims to support efforts to cooperate in establishing an international drug-free community and raising awareness of the drug abuse dangers on society.