Jordan, like other countries in the region, has witnessed a deterioration in the drug problem, as the regional circumstances around us and the new tensions in the region opened the doors for new threats to arise, which requires concerted military, governmental, and civilian efforts, including the media, civil society institutions, and experts in this regard, to address this serious threat.
Due to women’s important role in reaching out to their families and society, as well as contributing to controlling their behaviors and addressing the dangers they face, particularly those related to drug spread and abuse, Al-Nahda Women’s Network at the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) held a dialogue meeting entitled: “Women’s role in combatting drugs”, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
The panelists included the head of the National Alliance for Combatting Narcotics, retired Major General Tayel Al-Majali, the head of the awareness department at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Major Nabil Al-Rawashdeh, and mental health nurse, Ayat Al-Hamdan, and was moderated by networks officer at ARDD, Eman Abu Qaoud. The participants in the meeting stressed the need for joint efforts among all to protect all segments of society from falling into the trap of drug abuse.
On the reasons behind the spread of drugs, Al-Majali pointed out that the surrounding regional circumstances caused an increase in the number of drug smuggling cases, as well as the “curiosity” factor, which contributed significantly to young people gravitating towards drug abuse, indicating in this context that the “first experience” with some types of drugs is enough to get you addicted. He also blamed what he described as “remote parenting”, where the parents are too busy to pay attention to their children, as well as the absence of understanding or dialogue language between parents and children.
Al-Majali considered that the absence of supervision at home, family disintegration or the absence of one of the “pillars” in the family, in light of the increase in divorce rates, reflects negatively on children and leads them to depravity, pointing out that the mother, sister, or wife is the basis for protecting the family from social problems and recognizing its changing behaviors.
As for the role of women in raising awareness among their families and the surrounding community, and the effect of drugs on violence against women, Al-Rawashdeh underlined the role of women in protecting family members from drug abuse by raising their awareness and monitoring their mental state, noting that the department provides awareness to mothers and housewives. In the same context, he pointed out that the first people the drug user hurts after themselves are their families; for the addict is a victim if they admit their mistake and must be supported to get rid of their addiction. However, if they persist in their drug abuse and addiction, they must be held accountable by law as an accomplice. Al-Rawashdeh then went on to stress the need to strengthen the system of protection, awareness, prevention, and cooperation between the various authorities to provide effective treatment and rehabilitation for addicts, and to supplement awareness and educational efforts on the dangers of drug abuse and addiction.
Regarding the importance of mental health in this aspect, Al-Hamdan explained that from the social and psychological status of most victims of drug abuse, both young women and men, it can be seen they have gone through the first experience leading to addiction under certain psychological conditions that made them lose control over their behavior. She also saw that the solution is for parents, teachers, and the media to work together to curb the problem, as well as focusing on the mental health of individuals.
While moderating the meeting, Abu Qaoud said that “The scourge of drugs is targeting communities from all sides, especially young people, which reflects on the family, noting that mothers, wives, and sisters play an important role in strengthening family pillars, especially in the field of raising awareness of the negative effects of drugs.”
According to the participants, it is necessary to provide scientific studies to show the rates of drug abuse in the Kingdom, as well as the role of parents, caregivers, and the Ministry of Health in protecting society. It is also important to move forward and work according to an awareness strategy regarding the dangers of drugs, and to prepare a qualified team in all governorates of the Kingdom to deal with users of these substances, as well as providing treatment centers for juveniles, not to mention the importance of cooperation between various civil and volunteer-based institutions, the private sector, civil society, and the media to increase awareness of the negative effects of drug abuse.
