War on drugs calls for fresh strategy

The drugs problem cannot be tackled by laws alone but needs an out-of-the-box approach

Mohammed Al Baloushi, a former drug dealer, says young people need to be constantly reminded about the harmful consequences of getting involved with drugs. Lee Hoagland / The National

Such is the relatively crime-free nature of the UAE that it would be easy to believe that drugs pose no threat to society, particularly as this country has zero-tolerance laws. But, as The National reports today, last year Dubai Police smashed a major drugs trafficking operation, impounding 350kg of hash, 500kg of methamphetamine and 539kg of heroin in the process. Last week, Dubai Customs scuppered an attempt to bring 171kg of cocaine into the country. More recently, Dubai Police's anti-narcotics department seized more than five tonnes of hashish, one of the biggest hauls of the drug in the world this year.

A traditional "war on drugs" – one that no country anywhere in the world has ever successfully won – targets smugglers, dealers and gang leaders, but it often doesn't address why a habitual user of drugs might fall into regular use in the first place. The story of former drug dealer Mohammed Al Baloushi, published in The National yesterday, offers some fresh insight into ways of tackling such problems.

Mr Al Baloushi tumbled into drugs use as a teenager and became a major dealer by the time he was in his mid-20s. His life turned after he was caught by Dubai Police and later sentenced to 30 years in jail. Mr Al Baloushi eventually spent eight years in prison and freely admits “there is no happiness in drugs”. He believes that young people need to be taught about the consequences of drug use from an early age. In addition, enforcement agencies need to find ways to work with addicts, most of whom fear that they will be put behind bars rather than be sent to rehabilitation facilities if they admit to having a drug-related problem.

It is also necessary to listen to young people. As some Emirati men who have been the target of anti-drugs campaign told this newspaper, conventional publicity drives do not connect with them. They said that short documentaries about recovering drug addicts would be more effective.

None of this offers a perfect solution to this complex problem. Nevertheless, it might address this issue more effectively.