26 April - 2 May 2001
Issue No.531
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 April - 2 May 2001 Issue No.531 |
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A united front
Egypt's NCCM is broadening the scope of its activities with a new campaign to fight smoking and drug use. Dahlia Hammouda sounds out Egypt's role in an international effort to keep kids drug-free
At a national conference for combating smoking and substance abuse, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak announced the launch of a national campaign to fight smoking and drug addiction in collaboration with the World Health Organisation's regional office, in Cairo. The two-day event, held at the Cairo International Conference Centre on 22-23 April was organised by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM).
The conference stressed the necessity of coordinating the efforts of all relevant government and non-governmental institutions in the fight against drug use and underscored the need for inter-organisational cooperation in the region, most notably with specialised United Nations agencies like the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention and the World Health Organisation. In her opening address, Mrs Mubarak, president of the advisory board of the NCCM, said the reason the conference was being held under the auspices of the NCCM was the organisation's recognition that an alarming number of Egypt's youth are now smoking and using drugs. Although the repercussions are different for the two addictions, studies show that early smokers are more likely to use drugs later in life.
Mrs Mubarak pointed to earlier government efforts to curb the problem through the establishment of the National Council for Combating and Treating Addiction and the Addiction and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund. These two bodies were given a mandate to coordinate between government and civil institutions. Both organisations carry out research and follow-up on programmes designed to reduce the supply of and demand for drugs, but Mrs Mubarak noted that there is still room for improvement. "Our past focus has been on confronting drug importation and production, but this has proved insufficient. It has now become necessary to reduce the demand for these poisons," Mrs Mubarak said.
Egypt has closely monitored international efforts in this domain. The UN General Assembly held a special session in 1998 on drug problems worldwide, during which member states acknowledged that reducing the demand for drugs early on was an essential factor in the stepped-up global effort to fight substance abuse and drug trafficking. They committed themselves to setting national plans before 2003 aimed at significantly reducing both supply and demand for drugs by 2008. These pledges were set out in the resulting Political Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction.
Clockwise from top: Mrs Mubarak eyeing products at the tourist bazaar in Old Cairo's Religious Complex; greeting youngsters at the drug prevention conference; admiring artwork at the Pottery Centre in Fostat
In her remarks, Mrs Mubarak stressed the importance of a preventative approach and the need for increased efforts on the part of schools to educate children on drugs. "Schools should become social, educational and nurturing institutions, equipped with therapeutic services capable of early detection, treatment and undertaking preventative measures," she said. The educational establishment must encourage sports and cultural activities in order to shape these young minds and steer them away from delinquent behaviour."
Mrs Mubarak also stressed the role of the family, youth centres and religious establishments in protecting Egypt's youth. Noting that on a societal level, increased drug use can only hinder the nation's progress, Mrs Mubarak said addiction has introduced a whole new breed of crimes into society known for tightly-knit relations between its people. Since the majority of addicts fear of social embarrassment and usually turn to a family member or friend for help, Mrs Mubarak cautioned that it is essential for society to change its view of addiction as a crime deserving punishment to an illness that needs to be treated.
During the first day of the conference, Mrs Mubarak canvassed the opinions of Egyptian children, speaking with them at length. Children were invited to voice their feelings, concerns and recommendations regarding the problem and Mrs Mubarak responded with evident interest, extending heartfelt responses to all questions and listening to the youngsters' suggestions -- among them, banning all forms of cigarette advertisements and prohibiting the sale of tobacco to people under 18.
At the conference's closing session, Mrs Mubarak said that the time had come to build a multi-dimensional national plan -- legislative, media-oriented, educational and economic -- that brings together all the sectors involved in the combating of drug abuse and addiction. Mrs Mubarak also witnessed the signing of two cooperation protocols for supporting drug prevention programmes: the first between the UNDP and the Ministry of Health and Housing and the second between the UNDP and the NCCM.
Later on Monday, after the conference ended, Mrs Mubarak opened the Pottery Centre in Fustat, a new addition to the glories of Old Cairo and designed to be in harmony with the area's historic character. The area is considered a religious complex, since it houses a number of old churches and the Babylon fortress, in addition to the oldest mosque and synagogue.
Mrs Mubarak also laid the cornerstone for the traditional Islamic crafts town and viewed a documentary on the project to develop Old Cairo, which has been transformed from a shantytown to a model popular neighbourhood. In addition, Mrs Mubarak opened the new Fustat tourist bazaar, set up by the Ministry of Tourism as part of a comprehensive project to develop tourism in the area.
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