Dubai police’s anti-narcotics department distribute food stamps to drug addicts

Department helps addicts on road to recovery with 106 food stamps each worth Dh500.

DUBAI // More than Dh50,000 worth of food stamps have been given to recovering drug addicts in light of their good behaviour and because of Ramadan.

Dubai Police said it distributed 106 cards, each worth Dh500, in cooperation with Beit Al Kheir Society, a non-profit organisation that provides assistance to underprivileged families in the UAE.

“These kinds of humanitarian initiatives help a portion of people meet their nutritional needs when on the way to recovery,” said Col Eid Mohammed Thani Hareb, director of the anti-narcotics department. “They can buy food from any branch of Carrefour to break fast [in peace] without financial pressure.”

He added the department’s role is not only to arrest those involved in drug activity but to provide humanitarian assistance and help recovering drug addicts from relapsing.