RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker has said his government intends to cooperate with Islamabad in the fight against drugs.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day seminar on the 'Role of Women in Drug Abuse Prevention' organized by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

Mr Crocker said the US government had been working in partnership with Pakistan for the last 20 years to prevent drug abuse, and wished to continue this cooperation in future as well.

The US counter-narcotics programmes were aimed at inhibiting the flow of drugs through Pakistan and reduce its demand within the country, he said. This strategy, he said, addressed both the supply and demand sides.

On the supply side, drug criminals will always try to find a door to push through their illegal activities. He stressed that such doors had to be closed by staying one step ahead of them.

This takes strong public institutions, strategic vision and community vigilance, he noted. It takes citizens to ensure that drugs will not be tolerated by anyone, anytime or anywhere, he said. On the demand side, he said more awareness programmes be arranged in which women were involved in drug abuse prevention.

Mr Crocker said drug addiction problem did not only concern the poor and uneducated. "It is an issue which concerns everyone. Drugs can tear the very fabric of a society.

They do not respect social, economic or gender boundaries. They kill the rich and the poor, the literate and illiterate. They kill our children. They empower criminals who undermine security and stability. They destroy the economy by triggering other social problems such as Aids and violence," he added.

The US ambassador said drug addiction was a global menace which needed concerted action at all levels. He said for the first time he came to know that there was a hidden and rising number of drug abusers among women in Pakistan. He quoted a study conducted in the US which showed that girls and young women were more vulnerable to drug abuse and addiction.

The US official also described ways to save women from getting trapped in this menace. For this, women should be educated about the dangers associated with this addiction.

He was surprised to know that 84 per cent of female respondents were unaware of the harmful effects of drugs before initial use. He stressed the need to inform them about the menace.

"If you are a mother, you are the only mother that a child has and your influence in that child is unrivalled. You can instil values in your sons or daughters that steer them away from drugs," he said.

Mr Crocker emphasized on preventing children from trying drugs in their teenage years, saying this would dramatically reduce the likelihood that they would go on to have problems with drugs later in life. In his views, less drug use means better school performance, stronger families and fewer young people lost to a life of addiction.