The College of Science at the University of Basra organized a workshop on drugs and their devastating health and social effects. The workshop, presented by Dr. Afaq Mahdi Jabr, a faculty member in the Department of Life Sciences, aimed to raise awareness among university students about the dangers of drug abuse to individuals and society, and its health and social risks, including the mental disorders and changes in brain chemistry it causes. The workshop included a comprehensive overview of drugs, their types, and the various forms they are available and used by addicts in different countries around the world. The workshop recommended the necessity of strengthening awareness in schools and universities, supporting public and private treatment centers, fostering cooperation between families and health institutions, tightening controls on the distribution of narcotic drugs and pills, and establishing youth programs that offer positive alternatives.