DRUGS KILLED 17 IN SHARJAH LAST YEAR

SHARJAH // There were 17 drug-related deaths in the emirate last
year, with 16 of the victims Emirati, a senior police official said.
Brig Humaid Mohammed al Hudaidi, the director general of Sharjah
police, said: "We have to break the culture of silence about drugs
and tell our children the truth about drugs. The sons of this country
should know that drugs kill, drugs waste one's life."

Brig al Hudaidi said heroin was the most problematic for young
Emiratis, and that 11 of the 16 Emirati deaths were attributed to the
narcotic. Those who died were aged 23 to 48, he added.

According to a recent Sharjah Police report on narcotics, 357 people
were accused of committing 177 drug-related crimes in Sharjah last year.

Among these were 144 Emiratis. A total of 293 people accused of
offences were aged between 18 and 40.