Charles Ramendran
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 11, 2009): Influence and coaxing by friends to try out drugs are among the main factors behind the destructive beginnings of a narcotic addict.
In a study done on 26,841 drug addicts between 2007 and 2008, 55% of them confessed that they became hooked on drugs after being introduced to it by friends, while 35% were led to addiction after trying out drugs purely for fun and out of curiousity.
Surpisingly, the findings from the National Drug Agency (AADK) also revealed that the anguish of being unemployed and working at entertaiment outlets where the availability of narcotics is usually high had low influence on the jobless and workers of the industry who made up only about 10% of the addicts.
The highest number of drug users were general workers and along with those from the construction, sales, fishing, plantations and service industries collectively made up some 70% of the addicts in the breakdown by employment.
Another finding was that three quarters of the addicts had either completed their education up to Form Three or Form Five, during which time they had been told of the dangers of drug abuse.
Only 2.6% of them have never had any schooling.
There were only 624 women out of all the addicts.
More than 60% of the junkies were found to be in Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Johor while barely 2% were from Sabah and Sarawak.
A total of 18,218 or about 68% of drug abusers were found in the 18 - 39 age group.
Heroin and morphine topped the list as the most popular narcotics among 70% of addicts.
AADK deputy director-general Prof Dr Mahmood Nazar Mohamed said at a recent function that the first taste of drugs can put youngsters at the risk of getting hooked.
He said the AADK with its various programmes including the Rakan Anti Dadah (RADA) membership drive hopes to instil such awareness of the ills of drugs into teens and young adults.
He also said the rehabilitation of addicts has been more successful than previous years.
Rehabilitation takes between one and two years depending on the person's level of addiction, he said. A successful case is when an individual stays clear of drugs for two years after being released from the rehabilitation centre.
He said the agency has also assisted ex-addicts in setting up small businesses to churn out a living.
As for job placements, the ex-addicts are easily accepted in the construction, plantations and service industries but not for jobs such as security guards due to their past record for drug offences, he said.
(http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=38952)
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