Kuwait Cabinet Directives to confront addiction, protect society

Kuwaiti Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi said Wednesday that drug addiction is witnessing a continuous increase as it threatens almost every home, pointing to directives from the Cabinet to unify efforts of various relevant state ministries to confront this devastating scourge. In a speech delivered during a ceremony held by the Addiction Treatment Center marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Minister said that the Ministry is making more efforts in the field of combating and providing advanced services of drug abuse, detoxifying and enhancing advanced rehabilitation and psychological treatment paths. The opening of the new expansion of the addiction treatment center, which will include 155 additional beds, most of which will be used to provide services to women and teenagers, part of Kuwait efforts to provide the necessary health and rehabilitation care for people suffering of this dangerous scourge, he said. Minister Al-Awadhi praised various state and civil society institutions efforts to confront this problem, stressing the existence of an integrated system that aims to strengthen efforts and youth rehabilitation to be an effective and positive member of society. This ceremony aims to raise awareness among communities about the danger of drugs and it's serious harm, how to recognize addiction symptoms and ways to avoid falling into this danger scourge through proper socialization and meeting youth needs at early stage, he added. This day was approved by the United Nations as various organizations globally participate in it to exchange research results and data based on evidence and facts that would contribute to saving people's lives and enhancing work in achieving the desired goal, which is a society free of drug addiction, Al-Awadhi said. For his part, Director of the Addiction Treatment Center, Dr. Hussein Al-Shatti, said in a similar speech that they are facing a battle to protect youth and future generations from the danger of addiction, which now requi res concerted efforts among all state institutions. "We at the Addiction Treatment Center are proud of the achievements we have reached," he said, but there is still a long way to go, pointing to the increasing cases of addiction in recent years, which needs to intensify efforts and develop strategies to confront this growing challenge. Source: Kuwait News Agency