Be smart, beware of growing threats of drugs, cybercrimes, youths reminded
SIBU: Youths, especially students, should be wise as to not being easily lured into unhealthy activities that could destroy their lives.
In giving this advice, International Lions Club District 308-A2 Governor Kapitan Ronny Hiew listed drug abuse and cybercrimes as the ‘growing threats in today’s society’.
“We (Lions) want to work with the police force and schools towards raising awareness of drugs, commercial fraud as well as scams involving students, youngsters and the public,” he said in his speech for the ‘Drug, Online Fraud and Commercial Crime Awareness Campaign’ at SMK Methodist Sibu yesterday.
According to him, drug abuse can destroy the lives of young people and put their future to great darkness.
“Many teenagers today believe that drug abuse will make them appear ‘great’ to others.
“On the contrary, it can severely impact one’s physical and mental health, increasing their risk of mental disorders and chronic diseases, decline in intelligence as well as sudden death.
“When a person fails to resist the temptation of drugs, it becomes very difficult for them to recover, unless the individual is placed in a drug rehabilitation centre to get a new life, which at the same time has high costs,” he said.
Hiew added that scams – online financial scams, e-commerce scams, telecommunication scams, e-finance scams, love scams and loan scams, to name a few – should not be taken lightly.
“They (scammers) will use many methods to convince you, including making threats to have you arrested by the police or be brought to court.
“Once you fall into the trap, you will be asked to pay a fee and transfer money into a bank account, providing them with your personal information, such as passport details, date of birth or bank information,” he said.