Egypt presents its experience in combating drug abuse before the United Nations

In light of the worsening crises resulting from the spread of drug abuse worldwide, many countries are moving to adopt comprehensive policies that combine prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. In order to enhance the ability of societies to confront this complex phenomenon, and from here emerged the Egyptian experience in the field of combating drug abuse, which combines institutional work with preventive and developmental programs.

In this article, we highlight Egypt’s most prominent efforts in combating drug abuse. In order to understand the dimensions of this inspiring Egyptian experience, and how it was able to transform the challenges of this field into realistic action strategies that serve the individual and society within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); So keep reading.

Egypt was chosen among pioneering international experiments

That Egyptian experience prompted the United Nations Organization on Drugs and Crime to choose Egypt among seven distinguished international experiences in the field ofDrug control; To be presented during the activities of the sixty-ninth session of the meetings of the International Narcotics Control Committee, currently held at the United Nations headquarters in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

These meetings began on March 9, with the participation of about two thousand participants and more than 110 official speakers representing the participating countries, along with ministers concerned with the drug control file, ambassadors and representatives of international organizations.

Egypt is represented in the meetings by an official delegation that includes Dr. Amr Othman, “Director of the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse,” Ambassador/Mohamed Nasr, “Egypt’s Ambassador to Austria, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna,” and Major General/Mofid Fawzi, “Director of the General Administration for Drug Control,” along with the Fund’s media advisor, journalist Medhat Wahba.

The selection of Egypt as one of only seven countries to showcase its international experiences – along with Austria, Greece, Brazil, Norway, Algeria and Ecuador – reflects the international community’s appreciation for its efforts in developing integrated policies to confront drug abuse and reduce all its dangers.

Egyptian Strategy to Combat Drug Abuse

During one of the meeting sessions, Dr. Amr Othman reviewed the features of the Egyptian experience in confronting drug abuse within the framework of implementing the national strategy to combat drugs and reduce the dangers of abuse and addiction, which was launched under the auspices of the President of the Republic.

Then Dr. Amr Othman explained that this strategy is based on a broad partnership between a number of ministries and concerned authorities, and is based on several main axes, the most prominent of which are:

• Promoting primary prevention within the community.
• Moving from the traditional awareness stage to sustainable preventive programs within educational and youth institutions.
• Implementing family-oriented programs under the slogan “Prevention and Early Detection.”
• Creating educational and sports environments that support youth and youth.
• Benefiting from the role of religious institutions in correcting misconceptions related to addiction.

Al-Asmarat is a drug-free society

The Egyptian experience also touched on the state’s efforts to develop unplanned areas and transform them into safe urban communities, as the Asmarat region was reviewed as an integrated model of developed areas that aim to improve the quality of life and confront the negative phenomena associated with slums.

In this context, the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction is implementing a package of programs within these communities, including home visits to families with the aim of raising awareness of mechanisms for early detection of abuse, implementing preventive programs for youth groups, in addition to establishing eight community clinics that provide free counseling and treatment services in accordance with international standards.

This is in addition to organizing training camps to build the capabilities of natural leaders from the people of these regions; With the aim of involving them in implementing preventive and therapeutic programs to combat drugs within the new residential communities.

Initiative CHAMPSTo promote prevention in children

As part of efforts to strengthen early prevention, the “Director of the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Abuse” reviewed the implementation axes of the “CHAMPS” initiative, which aims to support prevention systems directed at children up to the age of eighteen.

The initiative focuses on building children’s capacities and strengthening their protective factors, which helps them confront social pressures and address risk factors that may lead to drug abuse during different stages of development.

In the end, the presentation of the Egyptian experience before the International Commission on Narcotic Drugs at the United Nations reflects the growing international recognition of the policy efforts pursued by the Egyptian state in confronting the phenomenon of drug abuse, especially those that combine early prevention, social development, and the provision of treatment and rehabilitation services.

This selection also confirms Egypt’s growing role at the regional level in exchanging experiences and building international partnerships to combat illicit drug trafficking, and strengthening global efforts aimed at protecting societies from the dangers of addiction. Therefore,The Earth Guards Foundation stresses the importance of the role of individuals and institutions in supporting such efforts, in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development.