WHEN the Ministry of Interior's recent report on the number of drugs confiscated and drug smugglers arrested was released, Saudi society was left reeling from the shock of the sheer scale of the narcotics trade in the Kingdom. According to the report, over 1,197 people involved in drugs, 741 Saudi smugglers and another 741 drug peddlers from over 35 nationalities were arrested and drugs worth over SR1.8 billion were confiscated. All types of drugs, including amphetamines, hashish, heroin and new types that many have never heard of before were seized. While all members of society are grateful for the efforts exerted by the authorities, people are now even more scared about the safety of their children due to the large amount of drugs that were confiscated. We are certain that authorities are vigilant and are performing their job perfectly, but what about the role of parents, guardians, teachers, imams and religious preachers? I think they are either negligent or oblivious to this epidemic called drugs. As parents, we are not doing a good job of keeping a close eye on our children's activities. We do not ask them where they spend their time or with whom they spend it with. We spoil them and give them a lot of money because we love them but little do we know that we are paving the way for them to go astray and end up in the world of drugs. As teachers and preachers, we are not giving a lot of attention to this issue; instead, we focus on less important problems. I hope the ministry's recent report is a wake-up call for everyone. We should shoulder our responsibility and join forces with the authorities to eradicate the menace of drugs because the authorities alone cannot do it. Drugs can only be eradicated when smugglers do not find any customers.
