Dubai Police help young drug addict recover after mother calls for help

Dubai Police have helped a young drug addict recover after his mother reached out to authorities for help.

Despite resisting a few times, the young man, in his twenties, became tempted to consume illegal substances with his friends.

Feeling helpless as she watched her son’s academic performance and social life deteriorate, the mother reported her son to Hemaya International Centre, an affiliate of Dubai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Department.

The young man was referred to treatment and rehabilitation as part of the UAE’s anti-narcotics law that offers addicts the opportunity to get treatment when they voluntarily turn themselves in and handover the drugs in their possession.

New amendments to the anti-narcotics law, which came into effect on January 2, provided the court with the authority to refer first-time offenders to rehabilitation instead of prison. Specialised rehabilitation centres are set to be established across the country where convicts can spend their term.

Colonel Abdullah Matar Al Khayat, manager of Hemaya International Centre at Dubai Police, said: "Although the young man refused to try the narcotics for the first few times with his group of friends, whom he met during a training session, he continued to hang out with them until his curiosity eventually drove him to try it.”

The young man's addiction had consumed him as he searched for ways secure the money he needed to buy drugs.

Al Khayat said the authority educated the young man on the consequences of drug abuse and laid out an integrated recovery plan for him with the help of specialists and experts.

“The young man was cooperative and responsive to the treatment. He pledged to never return to drugs and focus on building a better future for himself and his family,” said Al Khayat.

He added that the mother’s awareness played an integral role in the treatment of her son.

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“While parents would usually cover up their children in fear of bad reputation, the mother did not hesitate to reach out to Hemaya Centre to get her son out of this dilemma that was slowly ruining his life.”

Al Khayat noted that “when parents cover up their children’s addiction, they risk having them continue down the road of drug abuse, which can lead to jail and lessen their chances of recovery."

He urged parents to watch over their children and reach out to authorities for help to safeguard the family's cohesion and public safety.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai