KUCHING: The number of drug abuse cases in Sarawak is still high compared to other states in Malaysia.
As drug abuse among teenagers and youth are becoming a serious problem in urban areas, it has also made its way into the interiors of Sarawak.
Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep recently expressed his concern over the menace in many villages in Bau, Lundu, Padawan and Serian.
A villager in Sri Aman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the prevalence of drug addiction is found not only among the lower income group, but also in the elite class.
“In fact, students are not the only ones who do drugs freely in the rural areas. Security guards and the authorities themselves are drug pushers,” he added.
He was also saddened that drug addicts often cared about getting high and disregarded its ill effects.
Sarawak National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) director Wan Madihi Wan Salleh said from January 2019 until yesterday, the number of cases registered under the agency for Serian was at 108 cases.
“Of the 108 cases, it involved 105 men, three women with 18 cases below the age of 21,” he said in a recent interview.
When compared to Padawan, Bau and Lundu, Padawan had shown an increase in cases since 2017.
“There were 36 cases in Padawan in 2017, which increased to 48 cases in 2018 and 56 cases this year. Whereas in Bau, from 2017 to 2019, there were two, five and three cases reported throughout the years. For Lundu, there were three cases reported in 2017, zero in 2018 and nine in 2019.
“The number of cases fluctuates and this is a constant challenge for Nada to curb the issue completely,” said Wan Madihi, adding that despite the challenge, the agency would continue to carry out its duty and work with other enforcement agencies to carry out the necessary operations.
“More worrisome is that the drug taken by most teenagers and youth in the state is syabu (methamphetamine) followed by ganja (marijuana). Many are not aware that too much intake of syabu can lead to mental health problems.
“In addressing drug issues, our approach in Nada is through Prevention and Public Awareness, Treatment and Rehabilitation, and Enforcement,” he said.
He explained that prevention and public awareness is an element that aims to protect the public from being involved in drug abuse, to intervene with any high-risk individuals and to stop the use of drugs.
Some of the agency’s initiatives in carrying out prevention and public awareness programme include conducting urine test among students in schools to universities, a programme for all including students, community, public and private sectors.
“We have Kem Shields for secondary schools students, Kem PINTAR for primary school students, Kem SMART for teenagers, Family on Alert mainly for parents, Tomorrow’s Leaders for youth, Drug Free Workplace (Tekad) involving public and private sectors and Community Empowerment for the local community,” he said.
In the treatment and rehabilitation process, there are three methods: drug addicts enter the Cure and Care Service Centre (CCSC) on a voluntary basis, voluntary admission to Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen) through Section 8 and Section 9 of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 or through an order by the Court under Section 6 of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.
“Normally, drug addicts would be sent to Puspen first for treatment and rehabilitation for a two-year period or less depending on the individual’s performance, and then to Nada District Office for another two years,” he said.
Among the programmes conducted during treatment and rehabilitation are early recovery, relapse prevention detoxification, health treatment, social support, religious and spiritual programmes, guidance, counselling, skills and vocational training, sports and recreation, physical activities and programme with parents.
“It is important to remember that substance abuse or drug abuse is a worldwide problem that requires not only the authorities or relevant agencies involved to curb the issue, but most importantly prevention and detection begins at home,” he stressed.
