The Cabinet has allocated an additional LE250 million in the new 2015-2016 state budget to fight drug addiction. It has stated that the indirect economic costs the government has incurred as result of drug addiction has reached billions of pounds, as drugs reduce worker efficiency and increase road accidents. Statistics have revealed that up to 24 percent of drivers take drugs.
While attending a conference on the national plan to reduce the demand for drugs on Saturday, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb said the government will not be reluctant over the coming period in this regard adding, “Egyptians’ lives are not worthless. No one is above the law. The law will be strictly applied on whomever endangers our sons.”
Mehleb greeted recovering addicts during the conference, saying they represent an added value to society. He has also launched an initiative to create small- and micro-sized development projects for them.
He witnessed the signing of an agreement between The Drug Control and Addiction Treatment Fund and the Actors' Syndicate over a commitment filmmakers are making to raise awareness on the dangers of drug addiction.
The prime minister added that Egypt faces a conspiracy of terrorism, extremism and chaos, in addition to the threats on neighboring countries, which makes it imperative that the nation take strict security measures to combat drugs.
Individuals spend up to LE237 per month on drugs, Mehleb added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
