Awareness of scientific facts is the crucial shield of young people in the face of the deadly danger of synthetic drugs

In the past, the journey of drug addiction began with a single step, and took months or years to destroy a person. But today, in the era of “laboratory-manufactured drugs,” the rules have completely changed. There is no longer a journey, but rather a free and direct fall from the first experience toward the abyss.

Imagine that you are standing in front of one button. If you press it, there is a more than 80% chance that your heart will stop beating in that second, or that your mind will enter a dark tunnel of hallucinations and permanent madness with no line of return. Would you dare to press? This is exactly what a young man does who, out of curiosity or under pressure from friends, decides to try new synthetic drugs for once.

Fully synthetic drugs are manufactured in clandestine, illicit laboratories, using inexpensive, highly complex and destructive chemicals and toxic substances, such as acetone, pesticides, and paint solvents. Synthetic drugs include: Shabu (crystal meth), which is an extremely powerful mental and physical stimulant that instantly destroys nerve cells, and Chemical and Spice, which is synthetic cannabinoids that are sprayed on regular weed, but whose effect on the brain is hundreds of times that of natural cannabinoids, and fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid analgesic, whose strength is 50 times the strength of heroin, and 100 times the strength of morphine. The extreme danger of these materials lies in the inability to measure the levels of chemicals inside them.

The real confrontation with these substances begins with scientific understanding and self-awareness. Conscious youth avoid the dangers caused by these pests because they are too smart to fall into the trap of chemical deception.

To achieve this goal, the National Anti-Drug Campaign comes under the slogan “Uniting ranks to eradicate the scourge,” which is organized by the National Anti-Narcotics Agency in cooperation with the UAE Government Media Office, to lead a comprehensive movement, across all digital platforms and field activities, aiming to enhance psychological resilience among adolescents and young people, so that they have the courage of intelligent rejection, announcing the opening of doors and bridges to everyone who needs advice or support, and transforming fear and hesitation into a courageous step towards safety.

International statistics
Reports of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that fentanyl and synthetic drugs have become the leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 18 and 45 in many countries of the world. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70% of overdose deaths are due to synthetic opioids.

Behavioral studies issued by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse confirm that synthetic opioids infect the brain with addiction and complete dependence from the first dose, and this is accompanied by a compulsive desire for repetition that ends in cardiac arrest or separation from reality.

False promises

The purveyors of these poisons use reverse psychology methods to lure young people, wearing the mantle of careful friends, and exploiting tricks that distort the facts. The promoters delude young people with the saying: “Try it once and it will not harm you,” while the scientific fact confirms that synthetic drugs instantly reprogram brain cells and eliminate willpower. The promoters also deceive the young people that these drugs give them extraordinary energy to study and concentrate, while science confirms that this energy is an imaginary energy resulting from the consumption of nerve cell reserves, followed by a collapse and severe depression that leads to suicide. The promoters also deceive the young people that this scourge makes them unique and accepted in their group, while logic confirms that true acceptance ends as soon as the young man turns into an incompetent person, an outcast and threatened with imprisonment or death.

Coping methods

One of the most prominent methods of confronting such illusions is to possess psychological flexibility and the ability to anticipate the trick before it happens. When someone offers you to try an unknown substance under the name of “mood-altering” or “exciting experience,” he is not offering you pleasure, but rather robbing you of the most valuable thing you have: your freedom and your ability to make decisions.

In addition, the young man must realize that the true courage and heroism inherent in his personality does not appear in keeping up with others in their dangerous behavior to prove oneself, but rather lies in possessing the power to say a decisive and decisive “no” at the appropriate moment.

The young man’s awareness that his future, his ambitions, and the effort made by his parents to make him a successful and influential man in society are thousands of times more valuable than a moment of reckless curiosity, just as he is not a field of experiments for deadly chemical compounds manufactured by criminals in dark rooms to earn money at the expense of his life.

Strong awareness is a young man’s armor, and rejecting the first experience is not just a healthy choice, but an existential decision to protect his life.

Family and community are the proactive line of defense

The danger of synthetic drugs cannot be confronted by traditional means, because their symptoms appear lightning quickly. Hence, the role of parents and educational institutions is highlighted in the necessity of abandoning the culture of secrecy and adopting the language of open dialogue and emotional containment.

Noticing any sudden and severe change in children’s behavior (such as staying up excessively for several days, unexplained nervous agitation, complete isolation, or severe and sudden weight loss) requires immediate positive intervention.

The National Anti-Narcotics Agency has provided the Hisn service via the number (80044), which guarantees families the provision of consultations and treatment in absolute confidentiality, and with full legal protection that voluntarily exempts the applicant for treatment from any criminal liability, so that homes return to what they always were: fortresses of safety, providing warmth, and preserving the future.