Abu Dhabi Integrated Strategy to Fight Addiction Launched

The Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi has launched Abu Dhabi Integrated Strategy to Combat Addiction (2022-2024) under the theme, ‘A Community Safe from Addiction’.

Its main objectives include developing a holistic system to prevent substance use, enabling early identification and intervention, providing appropriate treatment to substance users, and ensuring fast reintegration of recovering individuals into their families and society.

The strategy focuses on five pillars:

1) limiting drug supply and controlling access to narcotics

2) strengthening prevention efforts and early intervention through educational campaigns and parent education programs

3) Identification and treatment, including examination, follow-up and referrals and launch of multichannel platforms to raise awareness about drug problems

4) reintegrating recovering individuals into the community

5) introducing enablers that include a code of conduct to ensure confidentiality of patients and development of a legislative framework related to addiction.

It is worth highlighting that DCD has launched along with its partners “My Community’s with me” campaign on digital platforms which coincides with the new launch of the strategy. The campaign aims to raise awareness and promote prevention, early identification, treatment and family and community reintegration.