There is an alarming increase in the number of people vaping marijuana from e-cigarettes in Dubai. According to Gulf News, there were two arrests in the first quarter of 2018 for vaping marijuana oil. The number has steeply risen to 97 arrests in the first quarter of this year.
According to the police, the users inject marijuana oil, a synthetic drug and inhale it. This drug is also called cannabidiol or CBD. Marijuana is a banned substance in the Middle East and those caught in possession of it will face dire consequences. Since it is a banned substance in Dubai, many smuggle the contraband through Dubai customs.
The issue was discussed in a forum in Madinat Jumeirah. Brigadier Eid Thani Hareb, the director of the Anti-Narcotics Department, addressed the 14th Hemaya International Forum and Exhibition on Monday. He spoke about the 97 people caught with marijuana oil and that most of them were non-Emirati visitors.
"It is a big number as we arrested two people carrying (CBD) in the first quarter of 2018. During the first quarter of 2019, we arrested 97 people carrying marijuana oil. It's a big increase," Hareb was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
Talking about how parents and teachers need to keep an eye on the children and look out for signs of addiction, Marwan Ahmad Al Sawaleh, the under-secretary of the Ministry of Education for Academic Affairs said, "Protecting our children from drug addiction is a responsibility between the family and the schools."
He added, "We focus on precaution methods in cooperation with concerned authorities. We train school's staff on how to identify the signs of addiction between students and how to deal with it."
Adding to this, speakers in the forum said that different curricula need to be introduced in school to teach students on the dangers of narcotic use and the different ways drugs are becoming technologically advanced.
