Friday sermons in UAE warn against drug abuse

Imams across the emirate have warned about the dangers of drug abuse and called on families to safeguard their children from bad companies and teach them good religious morals to protect them from the use of drugs.
The General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, on the Friday sermons, said many negative phenomenon in the society were associated with drug abuse, which has also impacted many families.
Imams said drug abuse has become so widespread that it is crossing the borders and the illegal drug trade, covering 170 countries, has become third in terms of world global trade.
"It is very important that we protect our children from falling into all forms of addictive drugs," they said during the Friday sermons.
According to the clerics, intoxicant is considered to be any substance that affects a person's consciousness.
"All forms of intoxicants, whether in liquid form such as alcohol, or whether they be smoked, ingested or even injected, are bad. And the most dangerous of these are the addictive drugs," they said.
The clerics said that drug abuse is a global problem and most of the countries are suffering from the epidemic of addiction.
A recent study found out that 95 per cent of those children who have fallen into the substance abuse of addictive drugs were said to have come from dysfunctional families, said the clerics.
The study said that their parents and wider relatives paid no attention to the wellbeing of their children and the result was the children sought comfort elsewhere, to their detriment.
In contrast to this, many families through their intimate sense of protective care and cohesiveness, were able to raise children who became distinguished in their morals and deeds, said the study, adding that children who excelled not only in their academic studies, but also in their character, going on to become assets to their wider communities and sources of pride to their nations.
"In order for children growing in the shade of such a cohesive family are sheltered and nourished, it is essential that they be protected from all manners of social evils," said the Imams.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi