KUWAIT: Recent security statistics showed morphine was responsible for the majority of drug overdose-related deaths in Kuwait, killing around 30 citizens. The study also showed that abusing benzodiazepine sedatives was the next leading cause of death, amphetamines third, methamphetamines forth and hashish fifth. Statistics also showed that overdoses had killed 75 citizens and expats of various nationalities since the beginning of 2019. According to statistics, the ages of most victims varied between 23 and 35, followed by the age category of 36-50, 18-22 and 51-60, with a majority of male victims.

Ethiopian maids
Kuwait union of domestic helper office owners urged the foreign ministry to accelerate the process of signing a cooperation agreement with Ethiopia in order to open more sources for domestic helpers and revive the sector. The union also called for allowing various offices to rehire domestic helpers, which is now restricted to the government company providing the same services.

Bedoon students
The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) yesterday announced that the total number of illegal residents (bedoons) studying at its colleges and institutes is 1,894. PAAET's dean of admission and registration Dr Meshaal Al-Mansouri said 1,508 illegal residents are registered in PAAET colleges and 386 in various institutes. Mansouri added 592 bedoon students were accepted this year and 1,434 students had graduated over the past four years.

Rumors denied
Director of the public authority for the disabled Dr Shafiqa Al-Awadhi denied social media reports about suspending the shift allowances for the authority's employees. "It is impossible to stop the shift allowance for staff members taking very good care of the disabled in various care centers," she stressed, urging all involved staff to ignore such rumors and get the latest information from authentic sources.

By A Saleh