The Family Care Authority (FCA) brought together government representatives, prevention specialists, and rehabilitation experts in Abu Dhabi on Friday for an open dialogue session aimed at strengthening family-led efforts to protect children from drug abuse.

Held at Khalifa A Municipal Presence Centre to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the session was titled “Prevention is a Shared Responsibility: Towards an Aware Family and a Drug-Safe Community.”

Speaking at the opening, Asma Al Azri, Executive Director of the Family Cases Sector at the FCA, called for coordinated action across families, schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and social services. She stressed that early intervention and equipping families with the right knowledge are central to protecting future generations.

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Dr. Alia Al Jasmi, Director of Care Homes at the FCA, described the family unit as the first line of defence against addiction, and outlined the Authority’s specialised support services, including halfway houses and aftercare programmes designed to aid reintegration into society.

Other speakers included Major Youssef Hassan Al Hammadi from Abu Dhabi Police’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate, who addressed community-security partnerships, and Colonel Dr. Ahmed Al Ali from Zayed University, who focused on student awareness strategies. Dr. Mohammed Al Junaibi, Head of Psychiatry at the National Rehabilitation Centre Abu Dhabi, closed the presentations by outlining treatment and rehabilitation pathways for individuals in recovery.

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Discussions covered early prevention, emerging synthetic drugs, modern trafficking recruitment tactics, and post-recovery reintegration. Participants agreed on the need for stronger institutional partnerships to develop sustainable child protection and community cohesion initiatives