Trends Official Blames Internet for Increase in Drug Abuse

[Lunar Loops]

This from the arabnews.com website (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&sect...d=1&m=7&y=2006) :

Official Blames Internet for Increase in Drug Abuse
Arab News JEDDAH, 1 July 2006 — The secretary-general of the Arab Interior Ministers Council, Dr. Muhammad Ali Koman, has said that the Internet played an important role in the circulation of drugs and that many criminals used the worldwide web to learn ways of smuggling and distributing narcotics.
“The Internet is like any other technology; its misuse can lead to creating new types of crime. The Internet has been responsible for many ills within society,” he said.
Koman added that the school curriculum in Saudi Arabia should include discussing social problems to increase awareness.
“Some people believe that it is premature to expose our youth to such problems. We should not underestimate our youth,” he said.
Talking about these problems does not mean that they are widespread and nor does it mean that people will turn toward such things by doing so, he added.
Koman stressed that it was important to deal with the problem as a social issue rather than a criminal one. “We are trying to activate society as a whole,” he said.
Koman said there are no clear statistics about drugs in Saudi Arabia but compared to other countries drug abuse is very low in the country, thanks to Islamic awareness and social unity.