Given the seriousness and sensitivity of the topic, along with its widespread occurrence and the lack of proper monitoring by families and governments over users of electronic devices like mobile phones and tablets, there is a pressing need to address this issue. The absence of legal regulations against websites promoting this type of drug has raised alarms about a new and unconventional threat targeting our children and communities: digital drugs, also known as Digital Drugs or iDoser. The impact and effectiveness of these digital substances can be more invigorating and relaxing than traditional drugs like cocaine or marijuana.

Digital drugs are fundamentally different in nature, making detection and regulation challenging. They are accessed, sold, and consumed through electronic means over the internet, making it difficult to enforce punitive or preventive measures against users and dealers. This entire operation leaves no tangible criminal evidence that could identify either the promoters or the users. Digital drugs represent one of the most contemporary forms of cybercrime, exploiting advanced digital technology for malicious purposes.

Recently, there has been a significant rise in websites that host various collections of these digital drugs, attracting many teenagers and young adults, especially those facing psychological, social, or familial issues. These individuals are often lured by promoters who convince them that these substances are safe and legitimate. The legality of these drugs stems from the lack of specific criminal legislation that prohibits their presentation and consumption, meaning that without a legal text, there is no crime or punishment.

This entire scenario is characterized by technological aspects that necessitate specialized procedures for detection and combating such activities. Unfortunately, many countries, especially developing ones, suffer from weaknesses in procedural aspects related to arrest, investigation, and inspection of cybercrimes due to inadequate technical expertise among law enforcement personnel.

Moreover, the lack of international cooperation in combating modern cybercrimes and the absence of unified international treaties and regulations have allowed criminals to evade justice, enabling them to enhance their criminal methods and discover new ways to commit and conceal traditional crimes.

**Digital Drugs in Brief:**

Digital drugs consist of audio files (ringtones) in varying frequencies, sometimes accompanied by random visual effects. These files are similar to any digital content stored on computers or mobile devices, such as images, videos, text documents, or audio files. What distinguishes digital drugs is their unfamiliar tones, which can be downloaded from specialized websites promoting and selling these files.

Unfortunately, several clips of these files are now available on YouTube, varying in length from just a few minutes to over an hour. Accompanied by sound frequencies, these clips may also feature visual effects, including static or slowly changing colors designed to stimulate the subconscious mind.

**An In-depth Look at This Issue:**

The journey begins by browsing websites that expertly promote and host this type of drug, enticing teenagers to use them. These sites provide information about the benefits of these tones, their types, and the effects each one may have. They also include guides and instructions on how to use them, along with the various types and corresponding prices. Moreover, they share supposed success stories from users who experienced relief from anxiety and stress after using these files, claiming that they felt euphoric and relaxed.

Initially offered for free as a trial, users gradually develop a strong desire to continue using them for enhanced effects. This leads to payments that vary based on the file type and the required frequency for relaxation, potentially resulting in excessive and repeated use that can lead to addiction. Consequently, this addiction poses a catastrophic threat to community safety.

**Discovery and Use of Sound Frequencies:**

In 1839, physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered that when two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, the listener perceives a rapid pulsing sound, known as binaural beats.

This mechanism was first used in the 1970s to treat patients with mild depression and anxiety who refused medication. The brain was exposed to electromagnetic frequency waves that stimulated the release of substances like dopamine and beta-endorphin, thereby improving learning rates, sleep cycles, and pain relief. According to Psychology Today, this technique can be employed to treat anxiety.

**Usage Requirements:**

To achieve the desired level of enjoyment and euphoria, headphones are placed over the ears, and users are encouraged to close their eyes, sometimes covering them with a blindfold. Loose clothing is recommended, and it is suggested to sit or lay in a dimly lit or dark room, turning off all electronic devices that might disturb the experience.

**Operation of These Audio Files:**

Digital drugs consist of audio files sometimes accompanied by visual shapes of varying colors, designed to deceive the brain by broadcasting different sound waves to each ear. Because these rhythmic tones are unusual, the brain works to consolidate the frequencies between the ears, achieving a unified level of electrical stability. Depending on the variations in brain electricity, this results in sensations that mimic those of certain drugs or intense feelings of euphoria.

For example, if the right ear is exposed to a 325 Hz wave and the left ear to a 315 Hz wave, the brain will process these two waves to create a new sound wave of 10 Hz, similar to what the brain produces during relaxation and meditation.

Each type of these digital drugs targets a specific pattern of brain activity, and the effectiveness depends on the duration of exposure and the conditions in which it occurs, often utilizing visual stimuli to heighten brain activity.

According to the Arab Organization for Information and Communications, these drugs consist of sound waves ranging from alpha to beta, theta, and delta, leading to various sensations such as drowsiness, heightened alertness, dizziness, relaxation, or even seizures.

**Promotion Methods:**

Digital drugs are marketed through websites that claim they are safe and legal since no laws exist against listening to audio files in any country. Various applications, from mobile apps to software for different operating systems, promote these files. Many websites provide step-by-step guides for achieving the desired state of euphoria and relaxation.

Digital drugs are available at various prices depending on the desired sensation, with some files lasting as short as 15 minutes and others up to an hour. Certain doses require listening to multiple files in a specific order to achieve the desired effect.

These websites often promote digital drugs in a manner akin to traditional drug marketing, providing free samples for trial, leading users to frequent usage and addiction. Prices can range from $3 to $30 or more, depending on the file. If the available dose is ineffective, some sites even offer customization services to create a tone that guarantees euphoria.

**Types of Digital Drugs:**

Promoters claim there are multiple frequencies correlating to various drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine (commonly known as crystal meth), each designed to induce hallucinations, relaxation, focus, and more.

**The Dangers of Using These Drugs:**

Joseph Hawat, president of the JAD Association for Drug Addiction Treatment in Lebanon, reported that last year, two cases of digital drug addiction were reported to the association. Parents revealed that their teenage children isolated themselves in their rooms for long periods, listening to strange and incomprehensible sounds, causing their bodies to tremble, even though they asserted their children did not use any traditional drugs.

Dr. Raji Al-Omdah, a neurologist and consultant for the United Nations Medical Committee, confirmed that these frequencies and sound waves negatively affect the brain’s electrical activity, leading to mental distraction, a dangerous state where individuals disconnect from reality and experience significant concentration deficits. He added that repeated exposure to this electrical wave alteration can trigger seizures and hallucinations, causing tremors, rapid breathing, and increased heart rates.

**Prevention and Treatment of Addiction:**

Experts emphasize that early prevention is better than treatment when it comes to digital drugs, underscoring the need for awareness as a current necessity to combat digital drugs and similar crimes. Given that modern technology is accessible to individuals of all ages, awareness remains the optimal solution for these negative actions.

Schools have a responsibility to organize awareness lectures for students about the dangers of using electronic devices and their various applications, from mobile phones to others that disseminate digital poisons, including digital drugs, which have rapidly spread among youth, particularly in Western countries and are now on the brink of spreading to Arab nations.

Therefore, a genuine and serious effort is required to combat these threats targeting our children and conservative communities. Awareness should not be limited to pamphlets or booklets; it must be clear and direct, ensuring that children recognize the real danger.

Additionally, schools must monitor and address students’ behaviors, advising parents to keep a close watch on their children’s actions and attitudes.

Families should also observe their children’s use of electronic devices, noting changes in their behavior or emotional state, such as isolation or aggressive actions, as these may indicate more significant risks needing prompt intervention.

In general, treatment for digital drug addiction is psychological, as the psychological dependency resulting from this type of addiction differs from the physical dependency often seen with traditional drugs. Thus, psychological dependency can be addressed within schools, by mental health professionals, or by parents themselves to combat this phenomenon and prevent its spread, as users of digital drugs often experience failure and deviance and might be fully prepared to become addicted to traditional drugs. The fear of this potential development remains a pressing concern.