Riyadh, June 28, 2021, SPA -- Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional and international arenas. Al-Bilad newspaper said in its editorial that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exerts the utmost efforts to combat narcotics that damage the human resource and threaten the nation’s security, health, social and economic stability. Additionally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is being targeted by drugs. The daily added that the Ministry of Interior, through its plans, pro-active security follow-up, promoting the performance of its personnel and coordinating with all relevant parties, has succeeded in thwarting any attempts aimed at smuggling and promoting drugs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ministry, through an effective security system, plays an important role in raising awareness among all members of society on harms of drugs and ways to prevent them. This is in addition to working at regional and global levels to tackle this phenomenon. Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia joined the celebration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. On this occasion, the relevant government agencies held several awareness programs on the harms of drugs, reiterating the importance of effective and comprehensive cooperation to combat this scourge. This is in addition to highlighting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat drug smuggling and promotion. In another context, Al-Yaum newspaper reported in its editorial that the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) targeting of elderly in the first phase of the national vaccination campaign against the coronavirus as well as its affirmation that the vaccines approved in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are effective and safe, shed the light on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tremendous efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper added the efforts all government sectors contributed to achieving the current stage of controlling the pandemic, but the community awareness and adhering to precautionary measures and preventive procedures remain the most important reasons to preserve the gains achieved in addressing the pandemic. The Ministry of Health’s statements on the curve of the positive COVID-19 cases which is witnessing stability, avoiding being led by rumors about safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines as well as its call for those aged 50 years or older to rapidly get second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, present the tremendous efforts being exerted to preserve the health of all people and control the pandemic. The newspaper further added that the Ministry of Interior’s announcement that immunization is required to enter activities, events and government, private and educational facilities comes as a part of the efforts that contributed to controlling the pandemic and the number of positive cases. The newspaper concluded that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also provided the vaccines for everyone for free to preserve the health of all people and confront the pandemic. --SPA 09:53 LOCAL TIME 06:53 GMT 0007 www.spa.gov.sa/w1577513