Shahid Afridi joins UNODC for campaign against Drugs in Pakistan

Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi has penned a two-year deal with the United Nations in order to lead the campaign against Drug use in the South Asian country.

Afridi, 31, has been role model not only for aspiring cricketers in Pakistan but the general population as well, who turn to the sport as a break away from their hectic lives.

Utilizing his popularity and the positive role he plays in the community, the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has appointed him the ambassador in their campaign to end Drug abuse in Pakistan.

Jeremy Douglas spoke on behalf of the UN and revealed that the cricket captain was an automatic choice, as he enthralled the masses with his clean reputation and never-say-die attitude.

“He plays with heart. Shahid Afridi is a role model who can speak powerfully against drug abuse. Young people see in him the courage to push away boundaries and the will to go on when things get tough.”

Afridi also commented on his role and revealed that he would be immensely proud if his efforts are able to prevent even a single child from getting started on drugs.

“I have never done anything by halves, and I will give my all to my new role of National Goodwill Ambassador. I hate to see drugs ruin the lives of young people. If I can convince just one boy or girl to turn away from drugs, I will be proud.”

There are nearly 8.1 million addicts in the Islamic Republic and most of them are reported to be early starters in the trade. The UN are keen to put an end to this and have started mobilizing the youth in order to lead the charge.

Selecting a few chosen individuals, who can be relied upon, UNODC has handed them the initiative and the campaign is slowly but surely starting from the social networking site, Facebook.

Other avenues of raising awareness are expected to be used in the upcoming months in order to get the message across and should the youngsters involved in the project perform admirably, one of them will have the chance to represent the UN in a special conference
in Vienna in March.

Posted by Shahrukh Sohail on Jan 20 2012. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry