Dubai: Dubai Police have conducted a new innovative smart awareness programme to raise awareness of the dangers of narcotics in ten schools across Dubai.
Colonel Eid Thani Hareb, Director of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, said the Smart Anti-Narcotics Awareness Programme allows anti-narcotics awareness officials to remotely lecture students in their schools.
“At one instance, a lecturer can be lecturing five schools at the same time. All the schools need to do is to install cameras, speakers and have an internet connection, which links them to the lecturer who is lecturing from a special room designed for this purpose at the anti-narcotics department,” Col Hareb said.
The students can also interact and ask questions.
Ten public schools in Dubai have had lectures through the new programme. “The plan is that this programme will be available to all schools and universities in Dubai in due time.”
The programme was the idea of one of the anti-narcotics department’s officers, who was thinking of ways to make the awareness programme more effective and extend its reach, he said.
He said that the response of the schools and students to the programme was very positive.
The programme will save Dubai Police money, time and effort spent on awareness programmes, as it can reach many people simultaneously. The money could be used for other awareness efforts.
This programme is in line with Dubai Government’s and Dubai Police’s vision to move towards smart government.
There are plans for other smart awareness initiatives, such as a mobile app that will give its users access to drug awareness material.
