Under the auspices of Professor Mohamed Sami Abdel-Sadek, President of Cairo University, and Professor Thuraya Ahmed El-Badawy, Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, and under the supervision of Professor Hanaa Farouk, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs, and Professor Nashwa Akl, Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development, and organized by the Student Welfare Department – ​​Social Committee, headed by Dr. Karima Kamal Tantawy, Lecturer in the Journalism Department and Advisor to the Social Committee, Mr. Ayman Mounir, Director of Student Welfare, and Mr. Mohamed Atef, Social Committee Specialist, the Faculty of Mass Communication organized an awareness seminar on Wednesday, November 5th, entitled: “Digitally Combating Drugs.” This seminar was part of the Faculty`s efforts to raise awareness among students about the dangers of addiction and mechanisms for combating it in the digital environment.

Dr. Nashwa Akl explained that the seminar reflects the Faculty`s commitment to familiarizing students with the role of new media in combating addiction, emphasizing that early awareness is one of the most important tools in society for addressing this issue. The seminar hosted Dr. Mohamed Shafei Abdel Hamid, supervisor of preventive programs at the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Substance Abuse, and Dr. Gihan Abdel Hamid, a lecturer in the Radio and Television Department.

During his address, Dr. Mohamed Shafei emphasized the seriousness of addiction and the necessity of concerted community and media efforts to combat it. He pointed out the importance of young people understanding the marketing tactics used to promote drugs, which are disseminated in appealing ways under misleading slogans such as: “Be a man,” “Let’s try it,” and “Nothing will happen,” with the aim of influencing the target and pushing them towards experimentation.

He explained that individuals vary in their willingness to experiment, falling into four categories:

1. The proactive experimenter who cannot stop.

2. The proactive experimenter who stops after the first time.

3. The willing experimenter who waits to see how others have tried them.

4. The unwilling to experiment, no matter how tempting the offers. He stressed the importance of educating and raising awareness among young people about the dangers of curiosity, saying, “Don’t try anything you’re not completely sure what it is… Don’t give anyone the chance to give you drugs under any pretext.”

He also warned of the dangers of smoking, explaining that 95% of addiction cases began with smoking, while the remaining 5% are linked to drug misuse. He emphasized that a single cigarette contains approximately 200 carcinogenic substances.

For her part, Dr. Gihan Abdel Hamid pointed out that the media—especially new media—is an effective tool for disseminating warning and awareness messages and providing educational content that benefits addicts, their families, and the surrounding community.

This seminar is part of a series of awareness events aimed at enhancing student awareness and supporting national efforts to combat addiction.