KUANTAN – The “customer-friendly” drug supply is seen as one of the factors contributing to the increase in the number of drug addicts in Pahang this year, said state National Anti-Drug Agency director Zirwatul Ahlam Zamzam.
She said that until May alone, there had been a total of 2,515 addicts recorded, exceeding the number registered last year of 2,308 individuals.
“The drug abuse problem in the state is still under control. However, there has been a slight increase this year, and we have seen that the supply of customer-friendly drugs has contributed to the spike in the number of addicts.
“If previously there was only one pot to obtain the drugs, now there is a mobile pot as supply can be obtained more easily as addicts need only place orders through applications on their handphones and the supply can be sent, for example, via cash on delivery,” she said.
Elaborating, Zirwatul said that before Covid-19 (in 2019), among the “favourite” hangouts of drug addicts were old, abandoned buildings apart from oil palm and rubber plantations.
Now, she said, the scenario has changed as these locations are no longer preferred by them, and according to intelligence, they have moved to their own homes, public toilets, or vehicles.
Furthermore, she said the challenges of life today have become more stressful, leading some individuals to use drugs as stress relievers.
“Five years ago, traditional drugs such as heroin and morphine may have been the choice of addicts, but now synthetic drugs such as syabu dominate,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zirwatul said youths, including general labourers and the unemployed, recorded the highest involvement in drugs in Pahang.
On the use of drugs among women, she said this was still low at only 3.6% of the 2,386 drug addicts as of April this year, and the cause of addiction was due to the influence of peers and spouses as well as family problems.
“As for students, there have been no arrests nor legal action taken against them as of now; however, we are going all out to have drug-prevention campaigns to warn them against the use of drugs.
“We are also forging close cooperation with our strategic partners, the Education Ministry, in drug-prevention efforts. In addition, I hope that counsellors and teachers at schools are sensitive enough to identify any ‘changes’ in their students so that their (students) involvement in drugs can be nipped in the bud,” she said.
She added that there are 12 high-risk areas where drug addiction is prevalent, and since 2021, these areas have been undergoing a “greening programme”, with various initiatives implemented, including community consultation and care programmes as well as the early detection of suspected drug abusers.
The five locations that have undergone the greening programme are Mukim Gali and Mukim Dong in Raub, Mukim Perak (Temerloh), Mukim Pekan (Pekan) and Mukim Chenor/Kuala Sentul (Maran). – Bernama, June 30, 2023
