Treatment centre for designer drug abusers to be set up

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A treatment and rehabilitation centre for designer drug abusers will be established in Sungai Buloh Hospital in view of the worrying trend of amphetamine-type-stimulant (ATS) abuse among the young people.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that hopefully, the centre, which would provide rehabilitation and counselling treatment, would be operational next year.
“It will not be like pusat serenti. It will be more of treatment and rehabilitation rather punishing drug abusers,” he told reporters after chairing the Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Action Committee meeting in Parliament on Thursday.
He said the number of ATS abuse among young people detected, particularly at entertainment outlets, remained high at 4,608 people last year.
From January to July, he said 1,655 young people were detected to have been involved in ATS abuse.
“About 15% of drugs abusers are ATS abusers. It is more difficult to trace and treat them because of lack of treatment modules,” he said.
On another development, he said the needle exchange programme had reached the target of 1,200 participants among drug abusers for the pilot project.
He said the programme would be extended to every state and it was expected to reach out to 25,000 people by 2010.
He said methadone replacement therapy had also proven to be a success with 1,200 participants, with a retention rate of 84% a month after following the programme.
Dr Chua said 73% of the participants had secured jobs after the therapy.
He said the programme would be extended to another 15,000 drug abusers.
On anti-retroviral treatment for HIV sufferers, he said nurses and medical assistants would be trained to help in the programme.
To date, he said 3,800 people had received the treatment and hopefully, the programme could be extended to 15,000 people by 2010.