Salah's anti-drugs campaign increased awareness among youth

Cairo - 28 June 2017: Mohamed Salah’s anti-drugs campaign has increased the number of “consultation and treatment for drugs” by five times, Ghada Wali, minister of Social Solidarity said on Tuesday.

“You are more powerful than drugs,” an anti-drug campaign by Salah, which had been broadcasted over Ramadan, has considerably contributed to social interaction with the campaign hotline.

The number of daily calls to the hotline reached approximately 500, aiming at seeking consultation and treatment for drugs. Previously the hotline received between 100 to 150 calls per day, Wali said.

On the occasion of the International Anti-Drug Day of this year, Wali expressed her appreciation to all national and private organizations and their personnel working in the field. She also thanked volunteers and cured people from drug addiction.

The Anti-Drug Box has celebrated carrying out a number of civil activities that have benefited approximately 15,000 young men and women over a month. A football tournament named “You are more powerful than drugs” was organized with the participation of 320 footballers from southern districts of Cairo, Wali added in a statement on Tuesday.

Cairo was the governorate with most calls to the hotline, responsible for 34 percent of the 46,681 calls. Giza came second in the number of calls to the hotline with 17,8 percent.

Wali said the Anti-Drug Box is prepared to reveal the national survey results on smoking, drugs and alcohol use among high school students. The survey has covered how the issue has prevailed among students of secondary and technical schools according to geographical distribution.

Preventive and curative interventions will be carried out in the wake of the survey results, in accordance with a strategy the box will adopt and carry out in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the next academic year.