GOMBAK, May 10 — More than 70 per cent of drug addicts in the country last year were youths aged between 18 and 40.
The National Anti-Drugs Agency's (AADK) director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said that over 191,000 drug users were recorded as being detained during the period, with the majority comprising young people.
“Approximately 50,000 individuals are currently under AADK supervision, while another 5,000 are placed in Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres (Puspen), where they are detained for a period of two years,” he said.
Ruslin was speaking at the Jelajah Aspirasi Bebas Dadah programme organised by the Selangor AADK at Dewan Komuniti Kampung Kemensah today.
In a related development, he said drug abuse is becoming increasingly worrying, with cases now involving children as young as 12 years old.
The trend of using e-cigarettes or vapes mixed with 'mushroom' liquid containing prohibited substances has become one of the main factors leading youths into drug abuse.
“There was a case in Kelantan involving a teenager who began abusing drugs at the age of 12 and is now receiving treatment in Kota Bharu at the age of 14.
“Our children in schools and young people are already familiar with the mushroom liquid contents in e-cigarettes (vapes). The liquid they are inhaling is among the most dangerous drugs at present,” Ruslin said.
In this regard, he urged parents to be more vigilant and play a role in early intervention by channelling information to AADK to enable immediate treatment to be provided.
“Based on AADK’s experience, those detained at rehabilitation centres often suffer from mental health problems.
“The likelihood of suicide is extremely high. They experience despair, hallucinations, and hear external voices. Therefore, proper attention must be given by parents,” Ruslin said.
