Captagon drugs hidden inside plywood boards are uncovered at a Saudi Border Guard office in this file photo. Despite the intensified crackdown against drug trafficking, the drug menace remains a serious concern in the Kingdom.

An official study has revealed that the majority of drug addicts in the Kingdom found their way to drugs at an early age.

The study was conducted on 500 drug addicts who are receiving treatment at local hospitals to kick the habit.

The study indicated that 10 percent of the addicted persons was introduced to drugs in elementary school against 56 percent who began taking drugs in secondary school, the most dangerous age to start on drugs as it is hard to wean people off them at this stage.

Talking to Al-Arabiya.net, Abdullah Al-Sharif said: “We discovered that people who started taking drugs at an early age were too young to know the hazards involved.”
He warned families to be alert and watchful of their children. “Once they reach nine years of age, parents should start explaining the facts of drugs, the dangers involved and other useful information to raise awareness on the issue,” he said, adding that the family’s involvement was the first step toward decreasing the number of addicts in the country.

According to the study, the 12-18 age group is the most vulnerable to drug addiction.
They are most likely to try drugs like hashish or Captagon for the first time, especially when they are exposed to sellers who are on the look out for customers during exam period.

Many citizens expressed their ire at social networking sites for broadcasting a video of a boy teaching the methods of taking hashish. The video went viral and was termed by Al-Sharif as “painful.”