AMMAN – Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum
(TAG-KF), a member of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), in collaboration
with the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) has organized an awareness-raising
panel discussion entitled ‘The Narcotics Dilemma: The Fight against Drugs and
Addiction Risks’. The session was held under the patronage of HE Dr. Talal
Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of TAG.Global, with the attendance of
Colonel Fawaz Al-Masaaed, head of the Judicial Division at the Anti-Narcotics
Department (AND), and Dr. Mousa Dawoud Al Tarifi, president of the
Jordanian Association for Combating Drugs.

During the session, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh welcomed
the participants and the audience, commending the significant efforts of the
Department and the security apparatus and their crucial role in protecting the
Jordanian community from the various negative phenomena that harmfully affect
the texture of the society and the efforts of civil society institutions.

More specifically, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh
underlined the need of protecting young people who represent the future of the
country; as they are the most vulnerable segment in the society to the dangers
of drugs, stressing the importance of following up and reporting any cases of
abuse or illicit trafficking.

He further, proposed a project within a
community youth framework to end this problem - by the youth themselves -
especially since they may be the most motivated to use drugs.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also drew attention to
the social responsibility he carries out through all TAG.Global’s firms in
protecting youth as well as developing and sharpening their skills and
capacities. He stated TAG.Global’s readiness to provide its services in all
fields to contribute to any project that serves the youth and the Department’s
efforts to fight this problem.

For his part, Colonel Al-Masaaed confirmed the need of raising youth awareness as
well as all community members concerning drugs' risks in general, urging them
not to accept the use of any types of drugs in any forms. He clarified that drugs
are blind substances that do not differentiate between good and bad persons,
between males or females, young or old. He pointed out that the Addiction
Treatment Center has, unfortunately, recorded many sad stories in this area.

Furthermore, the Colonel reviewed Jordan's
significant achievements in the fight against drugs, since drug abuse
is criminalized by Jordanian law. He indicated that the relevant authorities in
Jordan are working closely to fight the spread of this chronic disease by
bringing to justice drug dealers and promoters, not to mention the services
offered by a specialized center for addiction treatment.

For his part, Dr. Al Tarifi affirmed the
importance of after-care, noting the rates of setbacks are high globally and
locally, where more than 50% of those recovering from addiction return to use
after the end of their treatment journey.

Dr. Al Tarifi proposed solutions, the most
important of which is the Association's experience in launching the Dopamine
Adventure Project; a project that attracts recovering addicts in sports
programs such as camping, hiking, and traveling sports. He indicated that all
recovered addicts who joined the project have never used drugs again. 

During the session, which was held in the
presence of a group of academics specialized in counseling, mental health,
youth representatives and a number of media professionals, the participants
discussed the most effective ways to reduce the drug abuse problem in
cooperation with all segments of society, since overcoming of this problem
needs to join the forces of all concerned stakeholders at all levels.

At the end, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh gave an
Honorary Shield to the Anti-Narcotics Department for their efforts in raising
awareness among the society on the drugs dangerous. On the sideline of the
session, the Department organized an awareness-raising exhibition on drug
types, while brochures and booklets on this issue were distributed.

It is worth mentioning that the session
was organized on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and
Illicit Trafficking; or World Drug Day; marked on June 26 every year,
which was endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations as an
international day to fight drug use and illicit trafficking. This global
awareness day aims to support efforts to cooperate in establishing an
international drug-free community and raising awareness of the drug abuse
dangers on society.