Dubai: A loyal husband encouraged his wife who is a drug addict to join a rehabilitation centre and start life afresh, a Dubai Police official said on Sunday.
Colonel Abdullah Matar Al Khayat, director of Hemaya International Centre at Dubai Police, said the couple’s story is inspiring because the woman recovered from her addiction and was able to save her marriage -- and life.
He said the woman, an Arab mother of three girls and a bank employee, was addicted to painkillers and sleeping pills as she popped them to releive herself from stress.
“She soon became addicted to illegal painkillers and was taking 10 pills per day. Her life changed - she became lonely and kept thinking of divorce,” Col Al Khayat said.
At one point, an airline even banned her from travelling on its flights as she was founfd to be under the influence of drugs.
“The airline banned her from travelling. She was involved in other incidents under the influence of drugs like causing a blaze in her home and also a traffic accident.”
However, her husband didn’t realise that she was a drug addict until she confessed to him and asked for forgiveness.
“She thought that he would divorce her but the husband’s action was noble. He helped her recover and searched for the world’s best rehabilitation centres in the world. When he found one, he travelled with her and provided huge support to her until she recovered,” Col Al Khayat added.
Col Al Khayat said the couple’s story was inspiring enough to create innovative clips to raise awareness about drug addiction in the Hemaya contest against drug addiction.
“Many people think sleeping pills and painkillers can reduce stress but misusing them can lead to addiction. One hour of talking to trusted friends or psychologists can solve the problem.”
Hemaya contest
On October 22, Dubai Police launched a contest to give the chance to university students in the UAE to educate the public about drug addiction,online bullying and addiction to video games by recording awareness clips.
Students participating in the contest - Hemaya Clip - stand to win a Dh100,000 prize as part of a new an initiative by Dubai Police to spread awareness about the danger of consuming illegal painkillers and the importance of the family in protecting children from addiction.
The contest is part of the Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Photography Award, where students can send a 60-seconds video between December 1 and 15.
