Commendable effort to rehabilitate drug addicts

The efforts made by the National Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi in treating drug addicts are commendable and deserve support from all. At stake are the lives of misdirected youth who have succumbed to the lure of drugs. Confidentiality is one of the priorities at the centre, along with empathy and respect for the patient. But even as such steps are being taken, it is important to note that the fight against drugs is an ongoing one. A new report said that Dubai Police seized drugs worth Dh115 million recently, highlighting the fact that criminals are finding innovative ways to push drugs to children.

Schools must play a role in conducting workshops to educate children about the ill-effects of taking drugs and about how lives are ruined through addiction. Families must talk to children when they are young and counsel them against experimenting with drugs. But along with this, all assistance must be given to centres that help rehabilitate the youth and bring them back into mainstream society.