In conjunction with the national campaign 'United Ranks to Eradicate the Scourge', launched by the National Anti-Narcotics Authority and aimed at integrating security efforts with community and educational awareness to protect young people and adolescents from the dangers of addiction and peer pressure, the Community Support and Participation Department of the Dubai Civil Defence General Command organised a comprehensive awareness forum. The forum shed light on the risks of addiction, reviewed the latest prevention and treatment methods, and promoted a culture of aftercare for recovering individuals. It was held in the presence of Major General Jamal bin Aadhid Al Muhairi, Deputy Commander-General of Dubai Civil Defence, and Brigadier Khalid Ali bin Muwayza, Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, with broad participation from strategic partners, specialists, and a number of senior officers and civilians from the Dubai Civil Defence General Command.
The forum featured a series of awareness sessions and workshops. The first segment opened with a lecture delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Saif Obaid Al Jallaf Al Muhairi, Deputy Director of the International Protection Centre at the Anti-Narcotics Department of Dubai Police, entitled 'Addiction Without Life', in which he addressed the security and societal dimensions of the dangers of narcotic substances and early intervention mechanisms.
The second session focused on the post-treatment phase, during which Dr Hessa Abdullah Al Alawi, Head of the Recovering Addicts and Families Team at the 'Awnuk' Social Rehabilitation Centre, presented a working paper entitled 'The Importance of Aftercare in the Recovery Journey', in which she highlighted the significance of continuous follow-up with recovering individuals to ensure their successful reintegration into society and to prevent relapse.
The forum concluded with an inspiring dialogue session entitled 'Building Recovery Is Everyone's Responsibility', presented by Dr Abdullah Al Ansari, Director of the Awareness and Community Support Department at Irada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, alongside a distinguished contribution from a recovered individual who candidly and hopefully shared his real personal experience.