A Ramadan council proposes a drug test as part of pre-marital examinations

Speakers in the “Mohammed Saeed Al-Mulla” Council proposed allocating a test for narcotic substances as part of pre-marital examinations, stressing that this would contribute to protecting marital life.

The Council of the late Muhammad Saeed Al Mulla in Dubai hosted his first lectures during the month of Ramadan, under the title “A Conscious Family… A Safe Homeland,” in the presence of officials, prominent community figures, and media professionals.

The council is part of a community initiative launched by the National Anti-Narcotics Agency under the patronage of Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Agency, with the aim of establishing community awareness in confronting drugs.

The council, which was held in the Nad Al Sheba area, moderated by journalist Fahd Heikal, discussed the role of the family in consolidating the system of values ​​in light of contemporary challenges, and ways to enhance community awareness and build generations capable of facing challenges, in addition to reviewing the most prominent national efforts to confront the scourge of drugs.

Heikal began the lecture with statistics reported in a global report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, stating that the number of drug users in the world reached about 316 million people in 2023 (for ages 15-64 years), equivalent to 6% of the world’s population, which represents a significant increase compared to statistics recorded in 2013, when the number was 246 million, warning that “this reflects an increase in the percentage of drug abuse.” Faster than the world population growth rate.

The Director of the International “Hemaya” Center in the General Department of Narcotics Control in Dubai Police, Brigadier General Abdul Rahman Al-Maamari, said: “The crime is a reflection of the transformations that society is witnessing, starting with social media and reaching behavioral, social and cultural patterns.”

He stressed the continuous efforts of Dubai Police to confront promoters through social media, or what is known as “digital promotion,” using the latest technologies, as it is a targeted crime that targets communities and kills their youth.

The President of the International Society of Addiction Medicine, Dr. Hamad Al-Ghaferi, mentioned the story of a recovering person who entered the world of addiction at a young age, and one of his family members pushed him to go through the treatment journey, which was full of challenges and multiple setbacks, and ended with his complete recovery and obtaining a job thanks to the competent authorities providing him with appropriate support from the beginning of his treatment journey until its end.

Dr. Lamia Al Zaabi, from the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, said that enhancing awareness and instilling customs, traditions and religious values ​​in children constitutes the basis for confronting challenges, stressing that sound education represents a “protective shield” against future dangers.

She pointed out that many cases of abuse lacked sufficient awareness of the danger of narcotic substances.

The speakers also discussed the danger of electronic drug promotion, warning of the growing reach of promoters to young age groups and targeting them directly.

They stressed the need for concerted efforts to include children in both the family and school, especially the early childhood stage, in addition to strengthening the language of dialogue with them in a way that contributes to protecting them from dangers.

They called for defining a clear media discourse that controls the terminology related to the scourge of drugs, the individuals who use them and those recovering from them, stressing that this would enrich the efforts undertaken by the competent authorities alongside the media agencies, hand in hand.

They also suggested allocating an examination for narcotic substances within the pre-marital examinations, stressing that this will contribute to protecting marital life, as in some cases it becomes clear after marriage that one of the parties is a drug user, which may lead the other party to drug abuse, which poses a major threat to family stability.