The Social Solidarity Unit at Ain Shams University, in cooperation with the Community Service and Environmental Development Sector at the Faculty of Science, organized a symposium to raise awareness of the dangers of drug addiction entitled “You are stronger than drugs,” under the patronage of Prof. Prof. Dr. Hesham Tamraz, Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs, Prof. Dr. Salah Hashem, Advisor to the Ministry of Social Solidarity for social policies and coordinator of social solidarity units in universities, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ragaa Al-Sutuhi, Dean of the Faculty of Science, and in the presence of Prof. Dr. Jihan Rajab, Advisor to the Vice President for Community Service and Environmental Development, and Prof. Dr. Amani Suleiman, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs.

In her speech, Prof. Dr. Gehan Ragab, Advisor to the Vice President of the University for Community Service and Environmental Development, to the provisions of the protocol signed and joint between Ain Shams University and the Ministry of Social Solidarity to establish a social solidarity unit at the university.

She emphasized the fruitful and effective cooperation between the two sides under the auspices of Minister Nevin Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, and Prof. Mahmoud El-Metini, President of Ain Shams University, noting that within the framework of this protocol, many different activities and contributions were provided, such as providing prosthetic devices for students with special needs and providing loans, as well. She referred to the outstanding incubators program signed between the two sides to honor and encourage outstanding people to continue their scientific career.

Prof. Dr. Gehan Ragab concluded her talk about encouraging and supporting the work team of the Social Solidarity Unit, noting that there are more joint work and activities between Ain Shams University and the Ministry of Social Solidarity during the coming period.

On her part, Prof. Dr. Amani Suleiman, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science, indicated that the symposium is one of a series of seminars of the faculty’s cultural season, pointing out that it aims primarily to raise the awareness of youth and society about the dangers and abuse of drugs, whose abuse has spread among young people, which has significantly affected the community.

Ms. Reham Abdel Rahman, Coordinator of the Social Solidarity Unit at the university, presented an overview of the unit’s establishment and the activities provided by the unit at the level of social protection, economic empowerment, awareness-raising activities, human-building, volunteering fields, and inspection visits to the unit. The Ministry of Social Solidarity's Volunteer Bank and the Best Volunteer Award presented by the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the United Nations Program were also announced in the areas of confronting the Corona pandemic during the last period.

Ms. Amira Ragab, Assistant Adviser to the Awareness Unit at the Addiction Control and Treatment Fund, stressed the importance of informing young people about the nature, types and negative effects of drugs so that they do not fall prey to drug addiction. material and spoil any attempt to promote it.

Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, a toxicology expert at the Forensic Medicine Authority, pointed to the increase in the categories of addicts with the leakage of some new groups, such as women, adding that drugs break the willpower barrier of the addict and make him search for them without ignoring the requirements of his life, in addition to its negative repercussions on the health of the user, in addition to the harm that falls on his family. Stressing that drugs have become the main hero of most crimes and accidents in the recent period

He presented the most prominent diseases that can affect the addict, calling on young people to choose their friends well, stressing that the curiosity and experience of students and young people may make them fall into addiction, as indicated by Dr. Muhammad Mustafa referred to the most important indicators and behavioral manifestations carried out by the addict that non-specialist family and friends can identify, and gave examples of the danger of being with the addict and taking him as a friend of the danger of falling into the cycle of addiction.