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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

ROP on drive against drug abuse

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MUSCAT, Jan 29 - The Royal Oman Police (ROP) drug awareness mobile centre at Muscat Festival is a regular feature every year. Yet, it has remained a crowd-puller, drawing both parents as well as children.
The mobile centre is aimed at educating the general public, especially the youth, about dangers of narcotics and psychotropic substance abuse.
“We receive good number of visitors to the mobile anti-drug campaign centre from different walks of life, which is a good indicator that our communities want to learn about drugs and its killer effects,” said Sultan, an officer from the Directorate General for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
The vehicle has on display booklets in different languages on drugs and their effects. Officers from the department concerned explain the deadly impact of drugs on individuals, family and society.
“More often than not, youngsters who try drugs for the first time are not aware of their consequences. Most of them try under peer pressure,” said Sultan. Opened in 2013, the ROP’s mobile anti-drug education centre has been carrying out education and awareness campaigns throughout the festival. It interacts with thousands of students from schools and colleges. Schools make it a point to take children through the bus.
The bus and the adjacent tent also have samples of illegal substances said to be circulating in the market, including plant-based narcotics such as marijuana, hashish and khat as well as heavy drugs such as cocaine and heroin. He said most drug addicts start with afdhal, also called a pre-drug, which is light and induces youngsters to try more. “We advise all parents to monitor change in their children’s behaviour. Children should be given ample time for productive activities without which he/ she might find solace in illegal activities such as drug abuse,” he said.
The mobile awareness bus also has flyers with photographs of those who have lost their lives to drugs.
He said parents could call the 24-hour toll-free helpline 1444 if they notice any behavioural changes in their children.



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