0.03 pct of 4.7 mln students have experimented with drugs — Chong

OUT OF 4.7 million schoolchildren, 0.03 per cent have been identified as having ‘experimented’ with drugs as of July 31, but are not categorised as drug addicts, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.

Education Deputy Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon said of the total, 75.68 per cent of students took methamphetamine, cannabis (16.73 per cent), opiates (17.5 per cent), amphetamine (2.23 per cent) and ketamine ( 0.19 per cent).

“The Education Ministry would like to emphasise that the number stated is the number of pupils who experimented with drugs and were not categorised as addicts.They are still pursuing their studies and school activities as usual but need to be monitored and guided by school counsellors.

“The reason why we do not refer to them as drug addicts is because an addict, trafficker or one who is in possession of drugs has already been referred to the police under a criminal or drug case, and is no longer under the supervision of the ministry,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was responding to a question by Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Amanah- Kota Raja) on the current number of drug users among students, as well as the type of drugs taken, in addition to measures taken to curb it.

Chong said students identified as high-risk for susbstance abuse would undergo urine tests and if found to have tested positive for drugs, they would be given counselling for three months.

The students would once again undergo urine tests after three months and if found positive, they would be referred to the National Anti- Drugs Agency ( Nada) to undergo rehabilitation, he added.

According to Chong, the ministry has taken various approaches, like Drug Prevention Education (PPDa) to combat drug abuse among students since 1986, in all primary and secondary schools.

“Among the initiatives undertaken by the PPDa committee at schools are the FiveMinute Message, Anti-Drug Week Celebration and Anti-Drug Badge Programme,” he said, adding that PPDa also collaborated with Nada, the ministry and the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association ( Pemadam) to curb the menace,” he said. — Bernama