“Ahmed” sits under a bridge in Jeddah in the heat of the afternoon. Dressed in ragged clothes, he seems unaware of life around him, but eventually he comes round to tell his tale. “I fell into bad company and got addicted to drugs in the prime of youth,” Ahmed said, tears rolling down his cheeks. “When I lost all my money and my health my friends deserted me and left me to my fate. I couldn't pay my rent and the landlord kicked me out. I am homeless now. I wish I could get out of this and start a new life.” “We tried all ways and means to help him but it was no use,” said Ahmed's brother. “We took him to hospital for treatment but the doctor said the addiction was too strong. We kept trying but Ahmed eventually ran off and disappeared for months. He lost his job after consistently failing to turn up to work, and his wife and three children left him after he was jailed for dealing in hashish.” “He has repented now though, so we will do everything to help him return to a normal and honorable life,” he said. “People should learn from my brother's bitter experience and be very selective when choosing their friends.” Recent reports show that the number of people falling victim to drug abuse is on the increase, most notably among the nation's youth. The recent success of police in breaking up a network of drug traffickers trying to smuggle 1,786 kg of hashish and three million pills of captogen into the country shows that our youth are being targeted in efforts to undermine future progress, and serves as an example of the extent of the problem and its implications. Good husband “My husband was a very caring man, and we had a happy family life with our son and daughter,” says Umm Muhammed, from Asir. “But following an argument which ended with me asking for a divorce, his behavior started to change.” “Although relatives intervened to settle the divorce question, my husband afterwards began to spend more time out of the house, and when he did return he would shout at me and the children,” Umm Mohammed said. “I wanted to find out what was going on, and I discovered that he had become addicted to hashish and pills, which had also affected his work.” Family in hiding It never occurred to Fatima, now in her 40s, that the man she married 17 years ago would turn out to be a drug addict and dealer. “Like any girl I dreamt of marriage, and one day my husband-to-be asked my father for my hand,” Fatima said. “My family didn't rush into the decision but made proper enquiries about his character before agreeing to go ahead with the wedding.” “During the first five years of marriage I noticed certain strange behavior on his part, and he was also rather harsh with me. My mother and grandmother always advised me to be patient and believe that he would change over time. I thought our first baby boy would give him incentive to change, but to my dismay after three years of marriage I discovered that he was a drug addict.” “At first I was reluctant to tell my family about it,” Fatima continued. “So I kept it secret for seven years for the sake of our four children. I discovered he was dealing in drugs when he was arrested by the anti-narcotics police and since then he has been in jail.” “My children and I live in virtual hiding because of the social stigma. We have now moved from my village to another town far away to start a new life.” No single solution Abdullah Bin Marzouk Al-Otaibi, an advisor to the UN on fighting narcotics, said the latest UN report for 2007-08 shows that there are 200 million drug users, representing 4.8 percent of the total world population. The number of those who have turned from use to addiction is 25 million, he said, or 12.5 percent of users and 0.6 percent of the world population. Over 4.5 million individuals have signed up for treatment programs, equaling 18 percent of addicts. According to a UN report for 2005-06, the number of addicts in drug rehabilitation programs in the Kingdom was 150,000. Al-Otaibi said there was no one formula for handling the drug problem. “Experts and researchers look at it from three angles,” he said. “They are methods for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, and post-treatment follow-up and care.” He said the success of preventative programs depended on the level of understanding and comprehension of the reality of the problem, social circumstances and commitment to following up cases to judge how successful programs have been. “Drug rehabilitation centers must not be turned into food and medicine shelters,” Al-Otaibi warned. “We must not deviate from the basic tasks and objectives for which the centers have been created.” Rapid rise in addict numbers A source at Amal Hospital in Jeddah said addiction rates in the Kingdom have increased fourfold in the last five years, and that the constant rise is apparent in women and children, as well as men. Abla Hassanain, head of the women's section at the Anti-Narcotics Administration in Jeddah, said all studies warn of the vulnerability of youths to drugs, especially stimulant pills known on the street as “Cream”. “These are some of the most dangerous narcotics available,” Hassanain said. “We have recently discovered that there are hidden elements trying to undermine our beloved country. They have concentrated their efforts in recent years on pills and this explains the doubling in the numbers of pill users. Authorities should be ringing the alarm bells. Lack of facilities Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Awaji, Imam of Al-Nour Mosque in the Jeddah's Al-Aziziya District, said: “The main reason youths fall into drug addiction is the amount of free leisure time. They don't have youth clubs which could help them pursue their interests and develop. Youths also need to be careful when choosing their friends and who they hang out with.” Women victims A National Society for Human Rights member in Jeddah said they often received reports from the families of drug addicts who complain of suffering physical abuse at the hands of fathers and brothers. “Most of the complain come from wives seeking protection for themselves and their children from their addict husbands,” he said.
