Young people and the struggle against drug abuse in the Arab countries

While cannabis consumption in Egypt has a centuries-long tradition, recent evidence on drug abuse shows new patterns and trends: young people from all socio-economic strata of society are increasingly involved with both traditional drugs, such as hashish, and the new pharmaceutical psychotropic substances that are emerging. A recent survey of the university students in Egypt, carried out by the author and others, showed that 34 per cent of the students who had succeeded in their studies and 42 per cent of those who had failed used drugs. In addition to the situation in Egypt, the article briefly reviews drug abuse among young people in some other Arab countries. To cope more effectively with the problems of drug abuse among the young, the author suggests that comprehensive community-based programmes need to be organized to improve the personal and social functioning of drug-dependent persons, to promote drug education and to increase understanding between younger and older generations. Epidemiological studies of the nature and extent of drug abuse, as well as evaluative studies of ongoing prevention and treatment programmes, need to be organized and carried out with a view to improving the effectiveness of drug abuse intervention among the young in the Arab countries.