SAUDI ARABIA: Anti-drug campaign launched in Saudi capital Riyadh with Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders performing in streets

At least one hundred Harley Davidson motorcycle riders hit the streets of Riyadh on Wednesday (August 22) to launch an anti-drugs campaign. The two-day campaign, organised by state institutions and sponsored by the beverage producing company Red Bull, targets the kingdom's youth, said a member of the National Charitable Society for the Protection Against Drugs, one of the organising groups. ''Our brothers (in the Society) were talking about the negative consequences of drugs and told the youth that they must play a role in increasing awareness in society, to abandon these drugs because they are harmful. Anything that is addressed to the youth in such a manner will be good. They are asking for more such campaigns in other parts of the Saudi Kingdom," said the Society's deputy head Mohammad al-Ateeq. Accompanied by police vehicles and ambulances, the bikers roamed the streets of Riyadh on Wednesday night waving anti-drug banners and the Saudi flag before ending their journey at the 'Mamsha', a pedestrian street which attracts families and children. Hundreds of people gathered around the bikers as they performed simple stunts. During the show, the bikers distributed drug awareness flyers and spoke to the youth about the negative consequences of drug taking. ''The price of drugs now-a-days is affordable for children. It costs less than the children's pocket money, (it costs) five (Saudi) riyals and 10 riyals (1.3 and 2.6 U.S. dollars). It is affordable to everyone. We must protect ourselves, our children,'' said Wael Huraib, a bank employee who joined the campaigning Harley Davidson team. Statistics on drug use in Saudi Arabia are scarce and closely guarded by officials. High unemployment rates and strict social codes are cited by some studies as factors contributing to drug use in the Kingdom. There are a number of clinics and hospitals in the country which deal exclusively with treating drug addiction and abuse complications. "Saudi's efforts to fight drugs is continuos. (Saudi) is one of the countries with the fewest drug problems. But as you know, drugs is a global problem but the Kingdom's efforts to fight drugs is strong, positive and effective," said Othman Bin Nasser al-Mehrej, the head of the General Administration of Narcotics Control, part of the Ministry of the Interior. Saudi Arabia, which enforces an austere version of Islamic sharia law, usually executes drug smugglers and dealers, mostly by public beheading. Narcotics users are jailed for at least two years, while amnesty is granted to users who enrol for medical treatment for their addiction.

ITN Source | August 24, 2007

Tags:. .society. .jailed. .guarded. .abuse. .youth