14/11/2024
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14/11/2024
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Al-Ghadouri said, “Despite the Ministry of Interior’s ongoing efforts to combat this issue, the growing rates of addiction are having a devastating impact, particularly on the values and behaviors of young people. In the past, the common motive for murders was often disputes over women, but now the cause is often linked to drugs. In light of the increasing addiction rates, many lawyers that I met have reported that drug-related cases now make up about 60 percent of court cases, compared to 40 to 45 percent in the past.” Al-Ghadouri also highlighted unemployment as a major contributing factor to drug abuse, particularly among those receiving unemployment support, in addition to the influence of bad company. He stressed the need for increased efforts to address the behaviors of addicts and drug dealers, particularly in prisons, especially since the young man who killed his mother in Sabah Al-Salem had committed the crime shortly after being released from prison.
Al-Ghadouri expressed his concern over the lack of an effective role played by both government and private schools in providing awareness and prevention programs to protect students from falling into the trap of addiction. He explained that some schools hold occasional lectures on drug awareness, but these efforts are often scattered and inconsistent. Unfortunately, these lectures have become more of a routine process aimed at fulfilling a requirement, rather than an effective means of addressing the issue. As a result, they fail to achieve the desired impact. Al-Ghadouri stressed the need for the Ministry of Education to take a more proactive approach by urging schools to intensify their efforts in monitoring and supporting students. He called for greater involvement of psychological and social specialists, with more focused and specialized follow-up on students’ well-being, adding that it is important to include these specialists in training courses.
Furthermore, Al-Ghadouri recommended that the Ministry of Education mandate all schools to provide students with a questionnaire for their families to assess their social and environmental backgrounds, behavioral issues, academic performance, and other relevant factors. He affirmed the importance of activating the role of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs by organizing more lectures and forums for educating both parents and students about the dangers of addiction so that strong religious values can be instilled in children to help protect them from falling into addiction. Al-Ghadouri also called on the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to send messages to society that emphasize faith-based perspectives and warn against the risks of addiction. He urged the Ministry of Health to expand the network of addiction treatment centers to ensure that all individuals suffering from addiction have access to the support and care they need.
Al-Ghadouri highlighted the importance of involving civil society institutions in discussions about the factors contributing to the rise in divorce rates in the country. He pointed out that the high rate of divorces is one of the key factors leading to children’s behavioral issues and their susceptibility to addiction. Al-Ghadouri referred to recent statistics from the Kuwaiti Society for the Prevention of Family Disintegration, which were based on data from the Ministry of Justice. He said the figures of July 2024 revealed that approximately 835 divorce cases were recorded during that month, while around 1,314 marriages took place in the same period.
These include:
- Frequent requests for money, often without clear explanation.
- Withdrawal and isolation, with the child spending extended periods alone in their room.
- Visible needle marks on the arms.
- Missing money or jewelry from the house.
- A constantly runny nose, which can be a physical sign of substance abuse.
- Presence of small spoons with burn marks in their room or the kitchen.
- Deliberate absences from the house for more than two days.
The mother was not spared An Advisor to the Kuwait Journalists Association Lawyer Hamdan Al- Namshan condemned the recent horrific crime in which a young man killed his mother, calling it a heinous act. He highlighted the gravity of the crime, as the mother, who carried him in her womb for nine months, is the very person whom Islam has commanded to honor and respect. Lawyer Al-Namshan referenced a famous Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), where a man asked the prophet, “Who among people is most deserving of my good treatment?” and the prophet replied, “Your mother”. The man asked again, “Who next?” and the prophet repeated, “Your mother”. Upon a third inquiry, the prophet again responded, “Your mother.”
Only after the fourth question did the Prophet (PBUH) say, “Then your father.” He explained that the young man’s willingness to murder his mother, to obtain money for drugs or other purposes, reveals the extent to which his mind was detached from reality. He was willing to kill his mother and brother in his desperate pursuit of money. It is important for families to closely monitor their children from a young age and instill Islamic values in them, given that a significant portion of cases currently in the courts are drug-related, whether addiction or trafficking, with such cases now accounting for over 60 percent of the total cases in recent years. Despite the great efforts made by the state through the Ministry of Interior to combat the issue, drugs continue to spread, largely due to the drug trafficking mafia’s ability to innovate new methods for smuggling substances into the country. Drug-related offenses are considered serious felonies, whether for addiction or trafficking.
A convicted addict may face a prison sentence of more than five years, though a judge might consider the individual’s future, particularly if it is their first offense. On the other hand, drug dealers can face sentences of ten years or more, with the potential for the death penalty if the arrest involves both trafficking and distribution. While the laws are stringent and intended to be deterrents, the real challenge remains the lack of public awareness regarding the dangers of drug use and trafficking. Lawyer Al-Namshan expressed regret that a small group of lawyers often exploit legal loopholes in the judicial process, allowing some accused individuals to escape punishment. He emphasized that rulings should be based on certainty and conviction, not on doubt.
Social sciences expert Dr. Ahmed Salama linked the rising rates of addiction in the country to the increasing cases of family crimes. He said, “For addicts, the driving force behind such crimes is often the need to obtain money by any means, particularly when drugs have a strong hold over their behavior.” Dr. Salama indicated that the onset of criminal behavior in adolescents often begins with negative peer influences. He also highlighted the role of rising divorce rates, which lead to family fragmentation and may push children toward addiction, particularly in the absence of strong family support. Dr. Salama affirmed the need for civil society institutions to come together and organize forums and lectures to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs. He stressed the importance of awareness campaigns in schools, through the media and the collective efforts of all ministries in the country. Dr. Salama revealed that the majority of recent murders in the country appear to be drug-related, with offenders’ use of various psychotropic substances leading to a loss of mental clarity and impulse control.
