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| Abdul Karim (second right) talks to an inmate at CRCC as Khalid (right) looks on. |
KUCHING: Enforcement agencies should focus on bringing down drug kingpins selling their drugs to teenagers as they inflict damage on future generations of society.
Pointing this out, Youth Development Assistant Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said enforcement agencies should not be solely blamed for failing to stem drug abuse among youths.
“Parents, teachers, schools and the community should take part of this blame since the problem of youths is a problem for all,” Abdul Karim said when speaking at the Cure & Care Rehabilitation Centre (CRCC) Kuching Pre-Christmas celebration at the centre yesterday.
According to him, young drug addicts prefer synthetic drugs to the more potent drugs like morphine, heroin and opium which are declining in popularity.
“These synthetic drugs are more difficult to detect as they take the form of small tablets or pills that resemble prescription drugs,” he said.
He revealed that the number of registered inmates at CRCC statewide had dropped this year.
“A total of 862 CRCC inmates were registered in 2014, falling to 594 this year but we believe there are still many undetected drug users out there,” he said.
Karim who is also Asajaya assemblyman announced a RM5,000 grant to CRCC Kuching for its annual activities.
Earlier CRCC Kuching visiting council chairman Datuk Abang Khalid Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Marzuki said Sarawak should be concerned about the spillover effects from drug dealing activities across Southeast Asia.
“Statistics show that Amphetamine type stimulant drugs were among the top confiscated items in 2014. We as neighbours of those countries should be alert to drug smuggling attempts as they adversely affect our people too,” Abang Khalid said.
He said the state government had done much and had a plan to build a new rehabilitation centre worth RM45 million soon.
Present at the event was CRCC Kuching director Winnie Lugit.
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