Pubdate: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 Source: Frontier Post, The (Pakistan) Copyright: 2002 The Frontier Publications (Pvt) Contact: http://frontierpost.com.pk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/575 FOUR MILLION DRUG ADDICTS IN COUNTRY KARACHI (APP): It is estimated that there are four million drug users in the country which means that there are as many families living in misery and pain.This was stated by Dr Humaira Aziz, Director of the NGO, Society for Advancement of Health, Education and Environment (SAHEE), here on Friday. She pointed out that 40 percent of drug users are said to have experimented with drugs for the first time between the ages of 15 to 22 years. Dr Humaira said that with 40 people a day dying of drug abuse in Karachi alone, the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) and SAHEE have launched a project delivering lectures to the students of various educational institutions in Karachi in order to apprise the youngsters of the harmful effects of the drugs. The representatives of Narconon, Geoffrey Barton and Ms. Agnes Alymagambetov along with Dr Humaira Aziz addressed the students of 12 students in the metropolis including those of Karachi University, Sindh Government D.J. science College, Karachi Grammar School, Beacon House Jubilee Campus (Korangi), PAF Degree College Share Faisal, Bahria College M.T. Khan Road, City School Darakshan Campus and LeCole (DHA), SK Bin Zayed College DHA, PAF College Masroor, PASS and Dawood College of Engineering and Technology. Dr Humaira said that the response of the students was very encouraging and they offered their services to work towards the elimination of this very scourge. Barton was of the view that drugs can and do destroy the moral and social fabric of any society. Ms Alymgambetov said that this was her first trip to Pakistan and she will back as it is necessary to lecture on the truth abut drugs. Educational booklets were distributed among the students in order to apprise them of the harmful effects of the drugs. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager