Call for sensitizing youth on ills of drugs use
Zubair Qureshi
Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation (KKAWF,) and The Jordan Anti-Drugs Society (TJADS) in partnership with Serena Hotels hosted a panel discussion on “Early Drug Prevention Strategies: The Future of Youth.”
Cristina Von Sperling Afridi is the main driving force behind this enterprising and much-needed foundation as she lost her young son Karim Khan Afridi to drugs.
This led her to establish a foundation in the name of her son and since then KKAWF is spearheading a campaign to create awareness among the youth against the use of drugs, which have become prevalent issue in the youth of Pakistan
On Tuesday, on the call of the KKAWF people from various backgrounds turned up at the Serena Hotel to participate in the panel discussion on drug awareness session. They highlighted the need for creating awareness from a young age against the use of drugs that are now easily accessible to prepubescent children. Immediate action is the need of the hour, with the Government at the helm in the social and educational institutes themselves.The event started with a welcome note from Mrs. Afridi, the moderators of the event were esteemed senior journalist and anchor person Syed Talat Hussain, along with Dr. Ayesha Razzaque, former technical advisor to the Ministry of Education and Op-Ed writer for The News International.
The first session conducted focused on “Early Prevention Strategies” The keynote speaker Dr. Mousa Daoud Al-Tarefi, President of Jordan Anti-Drug Society whereas the panelists included specialists in the field of narcotics and prevention Syed Kaleem Imam; Former Federal Secretary, Senator Sana Jamali and Mrs. Afridi.
The second session was held on “Drug use prevention, awareness, and education; Learnings from Civil Society & Youth.” which was moderated by Dr. Ayesha Razzaque, and the panel included renowned individuals in the field, Mr. Sarfraz Qamar Daha, Mrs. Lubna Ghani Haya Uddin, Mr. Wajahat Ali, and Adnan Malik. An open mic session where the audience emphasized the importance of parents, educators, and other innovative ways to approach the topic, to create a drug-free environment for future generations.
The presence of renowned experts in the field, including psychologists, educators, addiction specialists, law enforcement professionals, and community leaders, provided valuable insights and practical strategies to tackle this issue preemptively.
