‘450 university students involved in drug cases last year’

AMMAN — A total of 450 university students were found to be involved in drug-related cases last year, the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) revealed on Sunday.

During a ceremony to launch the “No to drugs” campaign, implemented by the University of Jordan’s (UJ) nursing faculty and the department, First Lt. Nabil Rawashdeh from AND called on students to stay away from “bad company” to avoid falling into the habit.

He highlighted the dangers and types of addiction, in addition to legal ways to deal with them, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On the sidelines of the event, a play showing the danger of drug addiction and its relation to HIV/AIDS was presented.

Campaign participants also received posters and pamphlets on the social and physical harms of addiction.

The “No to drugs” campaign includes lectures, plays and field visits for UJ students to the AND museum and the centre for rehabilitating drug addicts.

The draft drugs and psychotropic substances law stipulates a minimum fine of JD1,000 and a maximum of JD3,000 for first-time illegal narcotics users in addition to one to two years in prison.

The State Security Court (SSC), which handles such cases, has the option of substituting the penalty with a referral to a specialised rehabilitation centre or clinic based on a programme suggested by specialists.