Earlier this month, the UAE's Ministry of Education launched a social media campaign warning young people about the dangers of illicit drug use. This valuable initiative, aimed at preventing substance use disorders, was launched on Twitter with the following tweet:
"Your life is a gift. You must protect it from bad company and instead surround yourself with family, strengthen your independence, and invest in your future for the sake of your nation... Don't try drugs and don't sacrifice your life for drugs."
The World Health Organisation reports that substance use disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychological problems. People addicted to opioids, for example, are 15 times more likely to die prematurely compared to non-users. Beyond physical harm, drugs take a massive social and emotional toll, too, ruining the lives of individuals, fracturing families and devastating communities.
I grew up in Liverpool during the 1980s. Back then, many of the city's neighbourhoods were being decimated by a heroin epidemic. One of my lasting memories of those days was a poem I once saw, which had been painstakingly etched onto a wall using dead matches. Written in the uppercase of desperation, it read: "Smack-head is my name, or so it seems. Smack smothered my hopes and shattered my dreams. Created to live in a world full of hurt, where pushers push drugs and don't think of the hurt."
There is something very sincere about graffiti. It is typically anonymous and often represents a spontaneous outpouring of the heart. I read this graffiti poem only once, 30 years ago, and it has stayed with me ever since. I wonder what became of its author. Did they escape their addiction? Did they find a cure?
Prevention, of course, is better than cure. With substance use disorders, the best way to prevent the problem is to ensure first-time use (initiation) never occurs. If we don't try a substance, we can't get hooked.
The Ministry of Education has chosen the perfect time of year to launch this initiation-prevention campaign, right at the start of the school summer holidays. Research by the US Department of Health looking at substance use initiation shows a clear spike in first-time drug use during the summer vacation period between June to August. This is often a time when young people have unsupervised free time, and, for some, it is a time to travel abroad.
One of the few studies exploring first-time drug use in the region involved 267 patients receiving treatment for heroin addiction at the Psychological Medicine Hospital in Kuwait. All patients were asked to recount their reasons for first-time use. Number one was "personal problems at home", closely followed by "excessive unsupervised free time". The third and fourth reasons were experimentation, curiosity and overseas travel.
The WHO says substance use disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychological problems
Excessive unsupervised free time, also known as poor parental monitoring, opens the door to negative peer pressure and greater opportunities for first-time use. When we travel to new places, we can often feel anonymous, adventurous and slightly disinhibited. Feeling this way opens us up to trying new experiences – what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – including illicit substance use. Furthermore, some places we travel to have relatively lax drug controls; substances hard to get at home are openly available. Thus, a lack of parental supervision and the dizzying effects of overseas travel can converge to make first-time use far more likely.
Overseas travel might be a major factor, but drug use at home happens, too. Despite every effort, illicit drugs still make it into the UAE. Reports of drug seizures by UAE customs officials and those of neighbouring Gulf countries have been increasing steadily over the past decade, especially for amphetamine-type substances, such as Captagon.
The 2021 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime documents a massive regional increase in amphetamine seizures, from around 20 tonnes in 2009, to just over 50 tonnes in 2019. Last month, Saudi Arabia seized 14.4 million amphetamine pills entering the country from Lebanon. The incident led to discussions in the Kingdom about a ban on Lebanese agricultural imports due to the rising number of attempts to smuggle illicit drugs into the country. But, for every shipment seized, how many are making it through?
Supply follows demand and helps create it. We need to do more to prevent first-time drug use. Tragically, for some unfortunate individuals, the first time will lead to a lifetime of chemical dependence and squandered human potential.
The recent preventative initiative from the Ministry of Education is part of the solution. The campaign also includes a poem written and recited by a recovered former drug user. The poet recounts his initiation, fall and eventual salvation, aiming to dissuade others from making the same mistakes. The work is in Arabic with an English translation. The following section captures why it is so vital to prevent first-time use:
"I heard the phrases, try it, try it, try it... It's impossible to get addicted from a single try… I tried it and I wish I never had... It's like a black hole, filled with unknown darkness… You don't see that until you get sucked into it. I saw my dreams begin to fade into the distance…"
Fortunately, this poet's journey has a positive ending.
"Inspiring individuals were the source of my liberation, and the rehabilitation centres offered me support and treatment… Now, I stand here stronger than before. I continue to live my life achieving my ambitions and dreams."
For many who become entangled with drugs, tragically, the ending is far less happy. Instead, dreams are smothered, and lives are lived on the revolving door of rehab and relapse. So let's do all we can to try and ensure first-time use never happens.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Price: From Dh590,000
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What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
