By Omar Al-Loughani
KUWAIT, Dec 30 (KUNA) -- Health and field data in Kuwait confirm that efforts to confront drug addiction and substance abuse are achieving notable progress through an integrated national system combining specialized treatment, updated legislation, and family protection mechanisms aimed at reducing relapse, strengthening recovery, and supporting social stability.
This system is anchored in the pivotal role of the Addiction Treatment Center under the Ministry of Health, alongside specialized civil society organizations including Bashayer Al-Khair Association, supported by legislative amendments reinforcing treatment pathways, expanding alternatives to imprisonment, and protecting informants and families.
Specialists agree that integrating therapeutic, preventive, security, and legislative efforts offers a more effective foundation for addressing addiction from a treatment-oriented rather than punitive approach, reducing health, social, and economic burdens while preserving public security and societal cohesion.
Director of the Ministry of Healthآ’s Addiction Treatment Center, Dr. Hussein Al-Shatti, told KUNA that the center constitutes a core pillar in combating drug abuse by providing comprehensive, graduated treatment programs based on scientific principles viewing addiction as a chronic, treatable disease.
Dr. Al-Shatti explained that the center consists of two buildings, with the older housing detoxification and initial assessment phases, while the newer building serves as a halfway house for advanced treatment, with total capacity exceeding 500 beds across wards.
He added that the center receives patients aged 21 and above, both citizens and residents, beginning treatment with detoxification lasting one to two weeks under medical supervision, followed by an assessment evaluating psychological, behavioral, and social conditions to determine individualized treatment plans.
Dr. Al-Shatti said advanced treatment includes outpatient clinics, continuing care, and halfway house programs, noting that continuing care requires daily attendance for tests, therapy sessions, and consultations while patients continue work and normal daily responsibilities.
He noted that the halfway house offers an open therapeutic environment simulating community life by assigning daily responsibilities such as hygiene, cleanliness, food preparation, and service, enabling patients to gradually restore responsibility and reintegrate as productive community members.
Dr. Al-Shatti stressed that addiction is a chronic behavioral disease and relapse should not be considered treatment failure but an expected part of recovery, with treatment aiming to reduce relapse frequency, extend intervals, and minimize severity.
He cited studies showing recovery rates reaching approximately 80 percent in early addiction stages and 40 percent in advanced cases, while first-year relapse may reach 60 percent, declining significantly with long-term follow-up and sustained recovery.
Dr. Al-Shatti explained that the center includes specialized wards for voluntary patients, court-referred cases, women, and dual-diagnosis patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, requiring specialized therapeutic approaches and trained multidisciplinary teams.
He warned that substances such as methamphetamine, known as (Shabu), pose serious risks, as even short-term use may trigger severe psychotic symptoms and complex psychological complications, noting that heroin, chemical derivatives, and shabu remain prevalent.
He emphasized that treatment does not rely solely on medication, but integrates behavioral, psychological, and social therapies through counseling, group sessions, and rehabilitation programs addressing behavior modification and underlying social and economic contributors to addiction.
Dr. Al-Shatti added that treatment relationships extend beyond inpatient care through outpatient follow-up and continuing care, noting the weekly "Message Campaign," where recovered individuals share experiences to motivate patients and strengthen confidence in recovery.
On legislation, Dr. Al-Shatti said recent amendments to drug laws strengthened treatment efforts by balancing harsher penalties for trafficking with expanded treatment options for users, allowing treatment instead of punishment and enabling families to request compulsory care.
Bashayer Al-Khair Association Chairman Abdulhamid Al-Bilali told KUNA that the new Kuwaiti anti-drug legislation marks a significant advancement, addressing field-level gaps, particularly in regulating addiction complaints and strengthening protections for informants and families.
Al-Bilali said the law enhanced compulsory treatment authority based on medical reports, resolved discharge-upon-request issues, improved mandatory treatment efficiency, imposed stricter penalties on traffickers, and expanded alternatives to imprisonment for drug users.
He explained that Bashayer Al-Khair Association has operated since 1993 within an integrated treatment framework in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, starting with detoxification and progressing through medical, psychological, and rehabilitation stages to halfway housing.
Al-Bilali noted that the association provides comprehensive rehabilitation programs addressing psychological, behavioral, social, religious, and cultural dimensions, including recovery meetings, lectures, prison outreach, hospital visits, aftercare services, and dedicated womenآ’s programs with positive outcomes.
He concluded that while the law establishes a strong foundation, further executive tools, continued support for specialized associations, and completion of the legislative framework remain essential to maximizing impact, combating drug sources, and ensuring full societal reintegration. (end) ays.ahm