Drug use in Lebanon

[LeXeU]

Recently, every time I visit Lebanon I realize the increase of the drugs wave in youth specially in clubs and pubs! What at one point was a "cool" thing to do among university students, now is a must trend in high school kids!!

It is very worrying and sad to see how this wave has caught the kids and dragging them to the unknown! I don't care about society values because I know how superficiality is overwhelmed in Lebanon, but the problems and harms that those kids will face because of those drugs is the worst....

I, myself am aware of alot friends residing in Lebanon are in prison because of using drugs! First it is really sad to see my own friends suffering and Second it kills me how they are thrown in jails instead of being in a rehab getting the appropriate cure!!!!

I want to shout from this thread to every single reader and member in this forum, whether 11 years old or 71 years old... We need an awarness program! We need a program that stops alienating our youth for the drugs!

Please share your opinion and suggestion for the best way to fight drugs and raise an awareness campaign.. Maybe help an active organiztaion such as SKOUN , invite them to the forum !! Whatever it takes!

[LeXeU]

Here is some info about the severness/awarness of the current situation in Lebanon:

Source: IRIN-UN

• According to officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs, the rates of drug use among people under 18 has risen in the last five years, and has become increasingly common among children as young as 12 and 13.
  
  
• The trend was obvious in a 2005 report prepared by local NGO Skoun, which provided the first walk-in outpatient therapeutic facility in Lebanon to provide drug users with treatment. According to the study, the majority of those seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addictions were between the ages of 15 and 25.
  
  
• According to a recent survey by the interior ministry, the number of drug addicts caught by the Internal Security Forces almost doubled between 2001 and 2005. This year alone, some 430 drug addicts were arrested. The most common drugs found at arrests are hashish (37 percent); cocaine (29 percent); and heroin (28 percent), according to ministry data.
  
  
• Some observers point to recent legislation as a step towards alleviating the epidemic. “The new law, number 673 of 1998, allows an addict seeking to be cured to enter a rehabilitation facility instead of serving prison time,” said lawyer Antonios Abi Kasem. He went on to note that the new law also took notice of addicted minors, stipulating that they “can be exempted from serving the term… if he or she pledges not to repeat the incriminating act, and executes the court’s orders to seek treatment.”
  
  
• In an effort to halt the trend, the Social Affairs Ministry recently opened a development centre in the Ain el-Remmaneh area in Beirut devoted to drug-abuse consultation and awareness.

[WiseCookie]

12 and 13 year olds think its the cool thing to do much like smoking. They listen to rap music, and im not blaming the music over here but that gives them the impression that it's even cooler. Other than that, i think we should work on eliminating all the drugs in Lebanon as long as we find a replacment and market for the farmers, i suggest we should start from the rural areas in lebanon *cough* bcharreh *cough*

[GeaGea SkyWalkeR]

Originally Posted by WiseCookie

12 and 13 year olds think its the cool thing to do much like smoking. They listen to rap music, and im not blaming the music over here but that gives them the impression that it's even cooler. Other than that, i think we should work on eliminating all the drugs in Lebanon as long as we find a replacment and market for the farmers, i suggest we should start from the rural areas in lebanon *cough* bcharreh *cough*

Yes Rappers make people take drugs., we should lock them all up. Rap encourages muder and Prostitutes. Rap encourges East to hate West, Rap makes you hate police, Rap enoucrages you to be a player,


i

[Rachel]

u don't see anyone trying to do anything about it.
they should start awarness programs in schools.
i remember in school they just told us: "drugs are bad for you...don't do drugs"
yeah that's reaaalllllyy convincing.
maybe they should take older children to rehabilitation centers and let them see what happenes to addicts.maybe it would be a shock for them but im sure it would stop them from even thinking about taking drugs.

[jiugiusti]

Well, it is incredible what 5 years in a life of a country can do...
I've been only 5 years from lebanon and it seems that the country extremely had changed...

Back then, I rarely saw youth having drugs.... or wearing like idiots....
People used to discuss politics but stay friends... now, people prefer this or that leader over 30 years of neigherhood (good and bad times lived together)... or old friends...

What is happening with this country... ???? Anno our younger generation is taking the worse things in the west and applying them to their life.. instead of taking the good thing....

Anno leadership care less. the society is beginning to lose its gueniune values.... I don't see any bright future.....

[coralie]

poverty and dispaire can make the young do any thing !!
the mafia is so strong and they pick the youngster and promise them money if they distribute (sell ) the marchandise so many young in need do it ! go to mono you will find a lot of them in the corners waiting watching and monitoring evry one > the right victime. they will not approache any mature person but will be very sticky on the young ppl !
watch out with whom make auto stop some drivers will turn out to be some guys working for some mafia "parti" and will try to trape you in to the dealer work promising you the full coverage of your scholarship or univ !

so basicly what is happning is that the police arrest and jail the poor adicted victims and the dealers are out there doing their filthy job freely !!!

[LeXeU]

Originally Posted by WiseCookie

12 and 13 year olds think its the cool thing to do much like smoking. They listen to rap music, and im not blaming the music over here but that gives them the impression that it's even cooler. Other than that, i think we should work on eliminating all the drugs in Lebanon as long as we find a replacment and market for the farmers, i suggest we should start from the rural areas in lebanon *cough* bcharreh *cough*

Originally Posted by GeaGea SkyWalkeR

Yes Rappers make people take drugs., we should lock them all up. Rap encourages muder and Prostitutes. Rap encourges East to hate West, Rap makes you hate police, Rap enoucrages you to be a player,

Oh come on now!!
First,you cannot blame it on any music, that's just silly!
Second, It has nothing to do with the farmers at alll!
Third, unfortunately it is not only in bcharre it' in the maten , the south, Beirut, monot, everywhere...

Coralie was straight to the point... the way is being distributed to the highschool kids in monot and downtown, the way those mafias using the economical situation in lebanon and encouraging people to sell it to teenagers...

All you need to do is go to a club, and look how things are happening!!

Long Live Lebanon:LEBANON:

[WiseCookie]

Originally Posted by WiseCookie

12 and 13 year olds think its the cool thing to do much like smoking. They listen to rap music, and im not blaming the music over here but that gives them the impression that it's even cooler. Other than that, i think we should work on eliminating all the drugs in Lebanon as long as we find a replacment and market for the farmers, i suggest we should start from the rural areas in lebanon *cough* bcharreh *cough*

First, Hence the bold face.

The drugs are not grown in monot. They're grown in rural areas but yes they are sold there.

[LeXeU]

Originally Posted by WiseCookie

First, Hence the bold face.

The drugs are not grown in monot. They're grown in rural areas but yes they are sold there.

Wise,

I saw that already, that is why I quoted Skywalker too... but still certain drugs were growing up legally in rural areas and it was not this severe. In addition, the drug types on the streets are so numerous!!!