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Six people die of drug overdose in Abu Dhabi in 9 months

The victims belonged to various nationalities, aged between 20 to 40

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Six people have died of drug overdose in Abu Dhabi over the past nine months of 2017, according to court figures.

Records from the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court on the number of drug-related death cases which they have looked into this year showed that the victims of various nationalities and aged between 20 to 40, died after consuming lots of narcotics including heroin and other types of drugs.

Learning the use of drugs from bad groups, lack of awareness about the dangers of drugs, negligence on part of parents or family by giving children excessive freedom and lack of religious morals resulted into young people becoming addicts, according to authorities.

In one of the cases, a woman died of drug overdose after spending a night consuming heroin with a friend.

Police investigations suggested that the victim's friend provided her with the drugs and when she became unconscious; he took her in front of her house at about 7am and moved away. He later informed police about the incident but the woman died after reaching the hospital.

A medical report said the woman died after consuming a lot of heroin. Police had also found some drugs in her car.

In other cases, two people had died in separate incidents after consuming lots of drugs and alcohol with their friends in apartments in the capital.

Other cases involved the death of three men, also in separate incidents after taking a lot of drugs while camping in deserts in remote areas of Abu Dhabi. The victims had been rushed to hospitals after becoming unconscious but were pronounced dead on arrival. Investigations by both the Police and Public prosecution and based on forensic examinations showed that the men in all cases died of drug overdose.
Judicial official said security agencies across the country are working so hard to reduce drug cases and limit the entry of narcotic substances into the country because of the harm such substances can exact upon vulnerable people.
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, last year told the Federal National Council (FNC) that in 2015, 6.1 out of every million people in UAE died from abusing drugs. That was up from 4.5 out of every million in 2013.
Sheikh Saif however noted that the figures were low compared to countries such as Italy, at 8.7 per million, and Scotland, 149.1 per million.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi