International Day Against Drug Abuse
In order to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation on Thursday held a public awareness campaign titled “Breaking the Cycle: Choosing to be Drug Free.”
The event held at the Centaurus Mall drew diverse crowd including diplomats, youth from schools and colleges, members of civil society and academia.
Adorned by eye-catching banners, backdrops in the main lobby Atrium from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm the event drew attention of hundreds and thousands of visitors who belonging to all ages—children, youth, families, students, anti-drug practitioners, Anti-Narcotics Force, government officials, UNODC, civil society, & media— participated in its activities. The launch of the KKAWF App called Clear Minds developed in partnership with Smart Forum technologies, was a key feature of the event. The first phase of the app is designed to provide youth, parents, and communities with accurate information, helpful resources, and a path to resilience and prevention.
The US Educational Foundation in Pakistan has always supported KKAWF in the event organization and Radio FM 99 collaborated with KKAWF for brand messaging on World Drug Day. The campaign was addressed by Director General ANF Maj. General Abdul Moeed, Mr. Troels Vester, Country Representative UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Sardar Yasir Ilyas, CEO Centaurus and former Federal Secretary Min of Narcotics Control Mr, Akbar Durrani. Omar Gul former cricketer also urged the youth to take on sports activities.They all drew attention on the urgency to protect the youth and highlight the need to implement early prevention strategies. They called upon all stakeholders to unite against the rising tide of drug use in Pakistan. KKAWF Board members Vice Chair Nasser Jaffer, Siraj ul Mulk, Lubna Hayauddin also attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion Cristina von Sperling Afridi, Chairperson KKAWF said today is a special moment for KKAWF as this year it marks a major milestone in its journey-its 10th Anniversary of working with a mission to protect the youth from harms of drug use and build a brighter future. She highlighted that “according to recent ANF report there are an estimated 17 million youth under 25 years who use drugs in Pakistan. With a youth population of nearly 150 million, we cannot afford to ignore this crisis Drugs, as part of organised crime are recognised now as a national security threat in Pakistan, Despite worldwide recognition of the drug problem, drug use persists and is mounting to historic levels – 300 million drug users globally in 2022, with diversification to synthetic drugs like crystal meth, making the task harder to address. She urged all present to open up conversations in our homes, schools, and communities. Let’s replace silence with awareness, stigma with compassion, and despair with hope.
The campaign featured a series of activities including inspirational Skits & Songs performed by local youth groups, screening of short films on the harms of drug abuse, distribution of advocacy material, interactive booths featuring quizzes, pledge-walls, and photo-op spot, And an Open Mic. Live Q&A Sessions with addiction-prevention experts was also a popular activity.
Since 2015, the KKAWF, has been working to break taboos through prevention education using its five pillars of drug abuse, arts, sports, environment, civic sense to build protective factors & engage with youth to make healthy life choices and better identify, understand and manage emotions.
