UAE's approach to combating drugs: awareness, deterrence, treatment and rehabilitation

, reflects the importance of consolidating efforts among various institutions and individuals to protect society from the dangers of drugs.He noted that the Prevention and Anti-Narcotics Department implements specialised awareness programmes targeting all segments of society, most notably teachers and parents, with the aim of familiarising them with the indicators of use and addiction, and the mechanisms for early detection of cases and how to handle them within the family or educational institutions.He added that these programmes are implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, private education institutions, as well as government and sports bodies and various supporting institutions, where awareness programmes tailored to the nature of each group are developed, contributing to enhancing their capacity to respond correctly to any case that may be identified.He stressed that awareness campaigns are not limited to the occasion of World Drug Day, but continue throughout the year through field and media programmes targeting schools, clubs, and government and private institutions, as well as participation in community forums and events, in addition to cooperation with various media outlets and radio stations to disseminate preventive messages.He noted that awareness programmes also extend to expatriate communities residing in the country, with the aim of enhancing their awareness of the dangers of drugs and fortifying their members against falling into use or becoming involved in trafficking operations.Indicators to measure impactBrigadier Al Asam explained that Sharjah Police uses scientific indicators to measure the impact of awareness campaigns, most notably tracking rates of drug use and the number of individuals who voluntarily come forward for treatment, noting that the recorded indicators reflect positive results confirming the success of preventive programmes in achieving their objectives.He revealed that a number of innovative smuggling methods used by drug dealers have been detected and foiled, including concealing narcotic substances inside capsules and saturating paper with narcotic materials, stressing that security agencies continue to develop their capabilities to keep pace with new criminal methods, and noting that the Sharjah Police General Command will soon announce details of one of the major cases that has been seized.An integrated systemMajor Yousef Hassan Al Hamadi, from the Drug Control Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police General Command, affirmed that confronting the drug scourge begins with prevention and strengthening a culture of community reporting, noting that Abu Dhabi Police has developed an integrated system for reporting drug use cases that ensures complete confidentiality and protection for informants.He added that artificial intelligence technologies represent an important tool for enhancing prevention efforts, through the production of awareness content and videos tailored to various age groups and segments, as well as delivering awareness messages in multiple languages, in keeping with the cultural diversity of the United Arab Emirates, which is home to more than 200 nationalities.Al Hamadi noted that the labour community is among the groups targeted by trafficking and exploitation networks, both for use and for promoting drugs, which necessitates intensifying awareness campaigns at their residential sites and workplaces, contributing to enhancing their awareness and protecting them from falling victim to this scourge.An umbrella of servicesAl Hamadi explained that the scope of reporting services is no longer limited to family members, but has extended to include educational institutions, where schools and universities, upon observing any concerning behaviour or indicators suggesting that a student may be using narcotic substances, can initiate a request for intervention and treatment through official channels, whether via the Abu Dhabi Police website, the "Tamm" application, or through dedicated contact numbers.He stressed that reporting cases of drug use represents a shared community responsibility, calling on all members of society not to hesitate to contact the competent authorities when observing any suspicious actions or behaviour, and affirming that all reports are handled with the highest degree of confidentiality and privacy.

The United Arab Emirates is reinforcing its national counter-narcotics efforts through an integrated system that combines awareness, prevention, security deterrence, treatment and rehabilitation, within a vision aimed at protecting society and safeguarding families and youth from one of the most dangerous scourges threatening community security and stability.

World Drug Day, observed every year on 26 June, carries special importance in renewing public awareness of the dangers of narcotics and affirming the need for concerted security, health, educational and community efforts to confront this scourge, whose effects extend beyond the user alone to the family, society, the economy and public security.

Police and security agencies across the country, operating under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior and in coordination with federal and local bodies, are intensifying their counter-narcotics efforts through surveillance, monitoring and seizures, alongside targeted awareness campaigns directed at all segments of society, helping to build a robust preventive barrier against the risks of use, promotion and trafficking.

As part of the development of national work in this area, the Cabinet has adopted the National Strategy to Combat Drugs 2024–2031, which includes a set of programmes and initiatives aimed at making the United Arab Emirates drug-free by 2031, through strengthening prevention, developing treatment and rehabilitation services, reducing the entry of narcotic substances, pursuing traffickers and dealers, and employing data and modern technologies in proactive and early detection efforts.

Community immunity

The strategy includes developing community immunity against drugs, advancing research in drug-use detection sciences, supporting the most vulnerable groups, attracting and developing safe rehabilitation and treatment centres that enhance quality of life, strengthening mechanisms for the vocational reintegration of recovered individuals to reduce relapse rates, responsible management of addiction-causing medical drugs, and building the capacities of service institutions supporting efforts to reduce the drug problem.

The strategy also focuses on launching specialised awareness programmes and campaigns, and developing policies and studies in the field of prevention and promoting positive behaviours, reflecting a shift in counter-narcotics work from a purely security-based approach to a comprehensive national strategy founded on early prevention, containment, rehabilitation and social reintegration.

The National Anti-Narcotics Authority is an independent federal body reporting to the Cabinet, replacing the General Directorate for Drug Control at the Ministry of Interior. It is responsible for formulating and implementing public policies, legislation and strategies related to combating drugs, and for tracking and dismantling drug smuggling and trafficking networks, in coordination with the relevant authorities at both federal and local levels.

At the operational level, high-profile seizures carried out by the competent authorities in recent years have demonstrated considerable efficiency in dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks, and in foiling attempts to bring large quantities of narcotic substances into the country or transit them to other countries. These operations have been characterised by precision and both domestic and international coordination. Counter-narcotics operations in the UAE now rely on an advanced operational system encompassing specialised human expertise, modern technologies, artificial intelligence and data analysis, alongside community vigilance, which constitutes the first line of defence against promotion and recruitment attempts. These seizures also reflect the high state of readiness and integrated coordination among public prosecution offices, security agencies and police forces across the country's various emirates, as well as the application of deterrent legal measures against those implicated, helping to dry up the sources of this crime and protect society from its effects.

Integration of roles

Major General Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Commander-General of Ajman Police, affirmed that the drug scourge poses a grave danger threatening community security and family stability, stressing that combating it requires concerted efforts and integrated roles among the family, educational institutions, media, religious institutions and all segments of society.

He added that the United Arab Emirates continues steadily to strengthen its counter-narcotics efforts and reduce their negative effects through a comprehensive strategy based on prevention, awareness, rehabilitation and security control, in line with the vision of the wise leadership to build a safe and stable society whose members enjoy the highest levels of quality of life.

The Commander-General of Ajman Police noted that police agencies across the country continue to develop their capabilities and capacities to confront this dangerous scourge, contributing to the protection of society and the preservation of its security and stability.

Indicators

Brigadier Majid Al Asam, Director of the Prevention and Anti-Narcotics Department at the Sharjah Police General Command, affirmed that prevention represents the first line of defence against the drug scourge, noting that this year's World Drug Day theme,