Materia Medica Malaysiana

New way to fight drug menace

KUALA LUMPUR: Increased enforcement is among factors contributing to a 16% jump in the number of drug addicts in the country, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

He said the number of addicts last year was 36,996 compared with 31,893 in 2002, adding that this was a big increase compared with the rise of 1% from 2001 to 2002.

“This increased enforcement is part of the government’s new approach against the drug menace.

“Enforcement agencies have embarked on a nationwide operation to nab drug addicts, pushers and dealers, while public awareness programmes are being enhanced for students, women’s groups, community leaders, youth organisations and religious bodies,” he said.

Dr Chua said this in a speech, delivered by Public Health deputy director-general Datuk Dr Shafie Ooyub, at the opening of the First National Conference on Addiction Medicine (NatCAM) yesterday.

Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia Dr Steven Chow said that during heightened enforcement, with active case-finding activities, new cases were bound to be found.

“But this does not mean that the high number of addicts did not exist before, it can be a case of underreporting,'' he said.

Dr Chua also said the Government was concerned with the fact that 70% of the addicts detected last year were young adults aged between 20 and 29, people who ought to be economically and socially most productive.

He said heroin accounted for the most frequently used drug, followed by morphine, ganja and metamphetamine.

Dr Chow, who is also NatCAM organising chairman, said early intervention was one of the solutions to tackle the rising scourge of drug abuse.

He said parents were given education on how to spot signs of their children being involved in drug abuse.