Riyadh, Jumada I 25, 1438, February 22, 2017, SPA -- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) organized at the headquarters of its Media Center here today a symposium entitled "Saudi Universities' Role in Fighting Drugs Phenomenon" in collaboration with Secretariat of National Committee for Narcotics Control (NCNC) represented in National Project for Prevention of Narcotics (NEBRAS) and the General Directorate of Narcotics Control under the patronage of Minister of Culture and Information and Member of National Committee for Narcotics Control Dr. Adel bin Zaid Altoraifi with the participation of more than 300 academics from Kingdom's universities and specialists from government and security agencies. The President of Saudi Press Agency Abdullah bin Fahd Al-Hussein delivered an inauguration speech in which he stressed the importance of the role being played by the media in contemporary societies as it is now growing in a way unprecedented by humanity throughout its history and all means of printed and audio-visual media have become the major source for the formation of awareness in the world. He pointed out that the circle of awareness has expanded with the diversity of modern communication tools whose technologies are used in societies and affected them particularly youths who have found in social networking outlets to express their vital energies in every way, amid fears that some of them are used in the demolition of values, and promotion of committing crimes through drug abuses in order to demolish the minds of the nation's youths expected to build a prosperous future for the homeland under an ambitious vision (Kingdom's vision2030) whose projects were launched under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The SPA President said that emanating from the importance of the role of media in promoting religious, cultural, intellectual and educational areas in the society, SPA has contributed through its diverse information services to support national efforts aiming to protect our male and female youths from falling into the drug trap of various kinds, and not to be affected by false allegations promoted by criminals across social networks in order to get rid of them, adding that SPA has also participated in several national events organized by governmental bodies in the various regions of the Kingdom through the news coverage of the events, held exhibitions to highlight the risks of this dangerous scourge, participated in national committees that discuss the issues of young men and women, and issued press reports to promote the public awareness. --More 15:33 LOCAL TIME 12:33 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w338029