KUWAIT CITY, May 6: “The number of drug addicts in Kuwait has reached 70,000”, says Dr Abdulrahman Al-Salim, a pharmacist at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital. He warned about the increased use of drugs among children particularly teenagers between the ages of 11 and 18 years in Kuwait, as well as about the existence of drug peddling in schools. Dr Al-Salim lamented that the rate of drugs addicts is increasing at an alarming rate, indicating that this is no longer a hidden secret as drug-related arrests are being made almost on a daily basis. He stressed that the targeted category of drug users are children and juveniles, as they are the easiest prey in terms of influencing and for buying drugs.Dr Al-Salim explained about a drug called “Chemical” which has been on sale lately, saying, “It is the most dangerous drug as it looks like a candy and is available in different flavors and scents such as of strawberry and other fruits, and is sold in covers with pictures of popular characters. It is also available in the form of leaves and can be smoked like a cigarette. It is also sold in the form of incense (bukhour), which helps the young addicts in deceiving their parents into thinking they are using incense”.Dr Al-Salim said the “Chemical” drug surfaced in Kuwait in 2010, adding that its use was widespread outside Kuwait more than 10 years ago. He said it was called “legal high”, meaning the legal authority, indicating that it is manufactured in private homes and non-medical laboratories and is made up of intoxicants such as heroin, hashish etc.Dr Al-Salim explained that drugs are classified into three categories - stimulants, hallucinogens and inhibitors. Hallucinogens include heroin while stimulants include methamphetamine and Captagon, which are used in wars and are currently used by DAESH. They help decrease appetite and sleep for days. He revealed that methamphetamine and Captagon are the most common drugs in Kuwait because they are cheapest, followed by hashish, the use of which is widespread in the country. Dr Al-Salim concluded by saying, “The most commonly used drug among the juveniles is “Chemical” drug”.By Marwa Al-Bahrawi Al-Seyassah Staff