Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al- Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and in the presence of a number of physicians and medical care in the UAE, the National Rehabilitation Center has announced it will host the first national conference to highlight addiction in UAE. The conference will be held next March 2007.
The conference aims to raise the level of awareness on the risks associated with addiction and to communicate the appropriate ways to avoid and minimize the spread of this plight. The Conference will highlight the success of the International community in handling the topic of addiction and advocates the successes in minimizing the effects on societies, families and local communities.
On this occasion, Mr. Abdul Aziz Nasser AL-Raisi, the Chairman of the National Center for Addiction said that “This conference is an output of the wise directions of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the President of the UAE and the continued follow up of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces along with the general supervision of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in their believes of both the organizations and the people's role to vaccinate our society, attack addiction and develop the necessary tools of awareness to have it under control. Accordingly, we do believe that this conference is going to be successful and highlighting serious a problem that is surrounding our society”.
Mr. Al-Raisi added that “We have started preparations long time back for this big conference, and today we are launching the electronic website as a basic step towards the continued preparation and marketing of this conference. The up-to-date technology has given us the chance to keep in touch with the experts and specialists on addiction treatment worldwide and subsequently enable them to register their participation in the activities of this unique conference in the region”.
The purpose of launching this website is to contribute in the preparations for this big event which is the first of its type in the Arabian Gulf.
Following the directions of late H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the founder of Modern UAE, the National Rehabilitation Centre was founded in 2002 for the purpose of treatment ,after care and providing education for people of all matters concerning addiction. This Conference is the first official activity organized by the National Rehabilitation Center. The Conference targets all social categories and highlights the methods that are adopted in various countries to treat addiction”.
On his part, Dr. John Marsden, senior lecturer at King’s College-London University, member of the Scientific advisory Council for the conference said: “Narcotics and alcohol addiction is an international problem. Hence, the role of the National Rehabilitation Center is highly significant in recognizing and treating this problem in UAE. I believe that the conference will be an setting new standards in addiction treatment and rehabilitation”
Accordingly, NRC supported by the National Addiction Center of London and the Arab Union against drugs and the society of Youths Against Narcotics (JAD) in Lebanon.
Dr. Michael Farrell, Chair faculty of addiction psychiatry-Royal College of psychiatrists and member of the scientific advisory council for the conference said that “The UAE International Conference on Addiction brings together experts from the treatment and research community along sides experts from the region including criminal justice experts, educators and welfare experts to create a partnership in order to produce the most effective treatment possible”.
As for the electronic website, it will provide the conference and participants of all data and subsequently give a chance for all concerned to sponsor and participate in the events of this conference.
