Interior Minister chairs National Anti-drug Committee meeting

Manama, June 25 (BNA): Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa chaired on Thursday the 13th meeting of the National Anti-drug Committee. The session was attended by the Education Minister, Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Affairs Minister, Information Affairs Minister, Health Minister, Youth and Sports Affairs Minister, Capital Governor, Interior Ministry’s Inspector-General, Director-General of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science and representatives of government organisations. Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa welcomed the attendees, highlighting the importance of reinforcing commitments to precautionary measures against coronavirus. “We are forced to adjust to the current situation, and at the same time to take all precautionary measures,” he said, adding that the first phase of the National-Anti-drug and Psychotropic Substances Plan 2015-2019 had concluded, reaching an achievement level that exceeded 97%. He asserted the importance of an active partnership between partners in ministries and various organisations to enhance awareness of the risks of narcotics. Interior Ministry’s Works Directorate briefed the meeting on the approved land for a specialised hospital for addiction treatment and rehabilitation, along with the engineering designs and financial aspects of the project. The Minister of Health highlighted the ongoing support to programmes that aim to protect Bahraini youth from narcotics. The meeting was also briefed on the “Maan” (Together) programme against violence and addiction that covers 82% of public school. There are plans to expand the project by increasing the number of trainers to cover all schools. The presentation highlighted the success of “Maan” to reduce harmful practices by 46%. Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa congratulated the programme and the Education Ministry on the awards which were granted to “Maan” recently obtained awards. He also hailed the role of instructores for their skills in providing training and delivering lectures. He hoped that youth would participate in the programme, as it provided a unique identity of Bahrain. The Minister of Youth and Sports asserted the continuation to hold lectures at youth centres and rehabilitate youth as trainers. He briefed the meeting on the second edition of the anti-drug programme for Bahraini youth “Takatuf” to activate the role of youth by empowering them to implement various addiction prevention programmes and systems. The Education Minister highlighted the importance of drafting a law that penalised the use or selling of volatile substances to juveniles. Therefore, the committee decided to draw up a comprehensive report on the topic for necessary steps. The Information Affairs Minister highlighted the importance of awareness and the Youth and Sports Affairs Minister emphasised on the role of parents in protecting their children. The Inspector-General informed the meeting on steps taken by police stations in this regard. The Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Affairs Minister highlighted coordination with concerned bodies as a critical factor against addiction to promote partnership. He highlighted cooperation between Bahrain and international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to exchange expertise. Gen. Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said that fighting narcotics is a community responsibility that requires joint efforts of the government and society. He valued the roles of NGOs in tackling this issue. He expressed thanks and appreciation to the committee’s members for their dedication and efforts to achieve targeted goals.