Malaysian Students Are Taking Drugs As Cheap As RM5 To Cope With Their Studies
Prolonged use of these drugs could lead to brain damage.
By Tang Ruxyn — 09 Oct 2017, 12:17 PM
RM5 for a pill. That's how much a person needs to get psychotropic drugs in Malaysia.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed recently revealed that many secondary school and university students in the country have turned to psychotropic drugs because they are cheaper than drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and ganja (marijuana).
"So, they turn to psychotropic drugs which are available for as low as RM5 each," he told reporters at the 43rd Peninsula Malaysia Penggawa Headman Union annual delegates conference yesterday, 8 October.
Psychotropic drugs refer to psychiatric medicines that alter chemical levels in the brain which impact mood and behaviour. Such drugs include Amphetamine Type Stimulant (ATS) and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) types comprising of ecstasy, amphetamine and others.
What's more surprising is the fact that these students have resorted to taking these drugs to cope with their studies
"Normally, ATS drugs are used by secondary school and university students to prepare for their examination at the last minute. So, they take such drugs so that they can stick it out when cramming up on their revision," Nur Jazlan was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.
He cited a data in 2015 that a total of 1,938 school students were found to be involved in taking drugs, an increase from 1,662 students in the previous year.
Based on the data in 2015, 73% tested positive for ATS (Amphetamine Type Stimulants), 19.2% for cannabis, and 8% for other drugs.
According to Nur Jazlan, some of the ATS drugs hot spots in the country included the low-cost housing areas in the Klang Valley, fishing villages in Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan, and the FELDA area in Pahang.
Nur Jazlan added that it is difficult to treat users who are addicted to these types of drugs compared to the ones addicted to cocaine, heroin, and ganja
The Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) chief said that there are serious effects and consequences on users who abuse these drugs as they could lead to brain damage.
"Seven weeks of drugs intake can damage the brain, while the recovery and rehabilitation process could take up to seven years," he was quoted as saying by Harian Metro.
He said that the Home Ministry is working with various entities such as the National Anti-Drugs Agency and Peninsula Malaysia Penggawa Headman's Union to tackle this drug problem that is on the rise.
The Star Online also reported Nur Jazlan as saying that the ministry is working on training university students to become activists to educate their peers on the dangers of drugs usage. To encourage students to participate in this campaign, the ministry may provide them with incentives such as credit hours in their university.