Agency targets 16 high-risk areas to go green this year
MELAKA: The National AntiDrug Agency (AADK) has set a target to change the status of 16 high-risk areas (KBT) where drug addiction is prevalent to low-risk areas (KBR) this year, says its director-general Sutekno Ahmad Belon.
He said it was a continuation of last year’s success, where 99 per cent, or 77 KBTs, obtained green status and switched to KBR.
“This is one of the efforts to reduce the projected addiction severity in this country from 437 cases to 400 cases per 100,000 population by 2025.
“Among the efforts is to change the status of 155 areas identified as KBT to KBR within five years from 2021,” he told reporters after attending a walkabout programme at Pantai Puteri here yesterday.
Elaborating, Sutekno said over the past year, a total of 14,890 drug addicts had fully recovered from addiction out of the 19,820 addicts who participated in the Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme (RPDK) and underwent assessment.
Meanwhile, he said AADK was also setting its sights on recruiting one million AADK Squad members, especially youths, this year.
“These volunteers aren’t solely dedicated to conducting antidrug talks; instead, our goal for this squad is to participate in healthy activities as a means of preventing drug addiction,” he said.
Sutekno said this squad would have a role to play in assisting the RPDK, which catered to 90 per cent of AADK clients residing in their homes and undergoing scheduled rehabilitation treatments.
“We aim for a 76 per cent recovery rate out of every 100 clients this year, and engaging in healthy activities and fostering community readiness will contribute to their recovery,” he said.