If the drugs won't come to them, they'll go to the drugs. A number of drug addicts are practically living out in the open, under Al-Sitteen Bridge, near Al-Sabeel district. But they have not chosen to be around this area at random. They wanted to be near drug dealers who operate from Al-Hofra (the Hole) area. Besides, many of them cannot afford to pay transportation to commute to this part of town, so they decided to make the shade of the bridge their home. Hassan A., 50, has never been married and has nowhere else to go. And even if he did have a place to go to, whomever he knows would probably treat him like a leper. His rap sheet is long enough to guarantee him the dubious honor of being the black sheep of any family. “With 15 precedents in my criminal record, including ingestion of liquor, I am now an outcast,” he said. “I used to lead a normal life until my father passed away. At that time, I owned a small truck which helped me to run errands until it got wrecked in a traffic accident.” Hassan stayed unemployed until bad friends talked him into drinking, and then on to selling alcohol to make ends meet. “Before long, I was arrested and served time in jail. After my release, I went back to committing one offense after another until my crimes added up to 15.” Ever since his release from prison three years ago, Hassan has been trying to find work to no avail. “I was determined to wipe the slate clean. I left no stone unturned while job hunting, but my criminal record was always the elephant in the room.” A glimmer of hope appeared when a security company agreed to hire him as a security guard. However, that opportunity evaporated into thin air as soon as it had come, when they asked him to produce two sponsors. “I went back to Al-Sitteen bridge and have been staying there ever since.” Ahmad T., another addict who calls the bridge home, said his dysfunctional family is the reason he's now throwing his life away. After his parents divorced, his mother married another man, and he no longer had a place with her. So as soon as he graduated from junior high school, he joined the military. Two years and seven months later, disaster struck. “I was dishonorably discharged over a previous incident that was not stricken off my criminal record,” he said. “I felt there was no light at the end of the dark tunnel and I started befriending men with foul reputation. After committing eight offences, I became certain that I was irreversibly doomed. I have looked everywhere for work and I am now living as an outcast.” A company once attempted to recruit him for SR500 a month. It wasn't a real job. The company just wanted to use him as a pawn to spruce up its Saudization record, and without any obligation on their part. “The sad thing is the Anti-Narcotics Department is only interested in arresting addicts and drug users, without any real focus on dealers and salesmen,” he claimed. “I would also like to call on all to change their perception of addicts and to treat them as just sick people.” A third man found under the bridge, who adamantly refused to disclose his identity or to have his picture taken, said he worked as an assistant to a physician at the Psychological Health Hospital. But later on, he gave in to the influence of peer pressure from bad company. “I was dismissed from the hospital and my repeated attempts at finding work failed,” said the anonymous addict. “Nothing is more agonizing than the looks that passersby give us.” He also called on the drug combat agents to clean Al-Sabeel district of dealers, particularly in The Hole, which is visited by addicts coming from various cities. In Al-Sabeel district, particularly near The Hole, residents were reluctant to speak up for fear of retaliation at the hands of dealers. Only one of them agreed to speak to the Arabic daily Al-Madina, but only after urging that his identity is kept under wraps. “Strangers cannot come anywhere near Al-Hofra area for fear of harassment and harm,” he said. “They'd trash your car and throw pieces of glass at you if you happen to wander in. They even use students and women to sell drugs.” A media spokesman at the Anti-Narcotics Department said statements about drug peddling on the streets is overstated and inaccurate. He also said that inspection campaigns continue uninterrupted at all districts with no exceptions. “Al-Sabeel district is like any other district in Jeddah,” said the spokesman, who would not reveal his identity for security reasons. “Drug combat agents and investigators are constantly present there.” He added that the entire area is under police control and all addicts nabbed are referred to Al-Amal Hospital for treatment. Dr. Mohammad Shawoush, Director General of Al-Amal Hospital, said that social workers and reformed addicts are sent to the “Bridge Addicts” to act as their mentors and urge them to seek treatment. Shawoush said that therapy consists of three stages. The first stage emphasizes ridding the body of toxins. It is compulsory for all patients who are not allowed to leave the premises. Two weeks later, patients may develop complications in the meantime such as behavioral disorders, infections, and hallucinations. The second stage focuses on altering behavior and may stretch for two months on average. This stage is optional and depends on a patient's will and cooperation with therapists. The third stage is one of rehabilitation and features more therapeutic options leading to integration of former addicts into the society. According to a Saudi study conducted by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Ghareeb of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, 25,260 drug addicts were treated at Al-Amal Hospital in Jeddah in the year 2006, an increase of 1,756 over the year 2000. __
