Values and the moral decisions young people face are just as important as academics at Beirut Baptist School (BBS). This year, grades 10-12 students are learning about the realities of drug addiction thanks to a partnership between the school and drug rehabilitation charity Cedar Rehab.
The founder of Cedar Rehab, Ahmad Khattab, shared at an awareness session at BBS in December his experience as a former drug addict. At 15 years old, Ahmad started smoking hashish and ended up taking heroin, his life quickly spiraling out of control: “In one year, I was willing to sacrifice all my values,” he told the students.
Ahmad delved deep into the underlying causes of drug addiction in Lebanon and shared the impact that addition has as addicts surrender to their desires. “Drugs destroy real friendships and replace them with fake relations based on exploitation,” he said.
BBS students are not just hearing about addiction through awareness sessions – they are taking action! In April, they will be raising money to support one young addict get over the addiction that threatens to destroy their life.
“Some students have seen the damaging effects of addiction on people they know,” says Celia Khater, Head of BBS’s Counselling and Career Guidance (C&CG) Department. “They are keen to help young addicts to overcome a problem that threatens to destroy their future and cut their lives short.”