TABUK – The National Committee to Combat Drugs has reported a substantial decrease in the number of addicts among women in the Kingdom. "During the last 18 months we have received only 10 addiction cases – six non-Saudi and four Saudi women," said Abdul Elah Al-Sharief, the committee's secretary-general. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, he said Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, recently patronized the signing of three contracts worth SR515 million to establish three hospitals in Riyadh and Taif to treat drug addicts. Meanwhile, SABIC will establish a specialized hospital for treatment of drug addiction in Riyadh at a cost of SR300 million while businessmen and philanthropists will finance three hospitals in Riyadh, Taif and Al-Kharj, the secretary-general said. Speaking about rehabilitation centers, Al-Sharief said an agreement has been reached between the committee, Labor and Social Development Ministry and Health Ministry to form a charitable society to run a rehabilitation center at a cost of SR100 million. "The Labor and Social Development Ministry has completed procedures to establish the charitable society Nabras and will soon begin its activities," he pointed out. Al-Sharief, who came to Tabuk to attend a leaders' forum organized by the committee, said treatment for drug addiction would be free at all specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centers. He commended the security forces, border guards and customs officers for their vigilance to stop smuggling drugs into the Kingdom. "These departments have shown a high degree of efficiency in combating drugs," he added. Al-Sharief said the arrests of a large number of drug smugglers in the past confirm that drug barons target Saudi Arabia. "We know our enemies target the Kingdom to sell drugs," he said. He lauded the cooperation between the Kingdom and drug enforcement authorities in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to fight drug smuggling and trafficking. "People should know that chemical compounds in amphetamine pills can kill millions of neurons in the brain within the matter of a month," he warned addicts and urged them to stop consuming all kinds of narcotics. Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, has previously mentioned the role of experts in Sudan and Lebanon in preparing chemical compounds that are used in addictive drugs. "Saudi Arabia has launched a war not only against the rebels in Yemen but also against drug traffickers. As a result of these efforts we have confiscated 41 tons of hashish last year," he said while praising the efforts of various security agencies in the Kingdom in fighting the drug menace. Security forces also seized more than 4 million amphetamine pills last year. "These incidents show that there are consistent efforts to smuggle drugs into the Kingdom," he added. However, Al-Sharief stressed that Saudi Arabia is capable of combating drug smuggling and trafficking and praised security officers who fell martyr during armed encounters with drug runners.
