Under the patronage of His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and with the follow-up of Major General Eid Mohammed bin Thani, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, Dubai Police General Command organised six awareness exhibitions under the slogan "United Ranks to Eradicate the Scourge", coinciding with World Anti-Drug Day. The exhibitions were held at Dubai Hills, Al Reef Mall, Century Mall, BurJuman Centre, Al Ghurair Centre, and the venue for student summer courses, with the aim of raising community awareness about the dangers of drugs and reinforcing the family's role in protecting children from this serious threat.
Brigadier Khalid bin Muaiza, Director of the General Administration for Drug Control, said that World Anti-Drug Day is an important occasion for raising awareness about the dangers of narcotic substances and affirming the importance of combining all efforts to combat this serious scourge, which leads to the destruction of communities and families at every level.
He stressed Dubai Police's commitment to strengthening its drug-control efforts and raising awareness about drug dangers through all available means and methods, with the aim of forming an impenetrable barrier against this threat to the individual and society. He noted that all the exhibitions focused in particular on reinforcing the family's preventive and supervisory role regarding drugs, empowering mothers and fathers to protect their children, confronting dangerous behaviours, and equipping them with scientific and practical knowledge to enhance positive communication.
For his part, Brigadier Dr. Abdulrahman Sharaf Al Muairi, Director of Himaya International Centre, said the awareness exhibitions included workshops, lectures, and other awareness activities, as well as explanations of certain legal provisions that help provide a supportive legal environment for families in addressing addiction cases. Among the most prominent is Article 89 of the United Arab Emirates Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, which requires providing therapeutic support to users who voluntarily seek treatment without taking legal action against them. The article also allows first- and second-degree family members to submit a treatment request on behalf of the user, thereby reinforcing the family's role in early intervention, enabling users to receive treatment at specialised centres, granting them further opportunities in society, and facilitating the process of recovery and return to normal life.
Article 64 was also introduced, which focuses on imposing penalties for crimes related to the transfer of funds with the intent to purchase narcotic substances, whether personally or through a third party.