GOVERNMENT and non-governmental organisations, parents and concerned individuals should go all out to fight the drug menace and help make Malaysia drug-free by 2015.

As the largest crime-prevention body in the country, the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation is committed to educating the younger generation about the dangers of drug abuse, which is one of the root causes of crime.
Malaysia ’s move to make the nation drug-free by the year 2015 is laudable.
But it requires commitment, political will and the fullest participation of all sectors of the community, including parents and teachers, to achieve this objective.
The government has spent millions of ringgit to tackle the drug menace but the problem is far from being eradicated.
Victory is still nowhere in sight. Statistics on drug users in the country are a matter of concern.
Clearly, no party alone can overcome the drug menace.
The government needs not only the support of non-governmental organisations, voluntary bodies and religious organisations but also a strong family institution in curbing the drug problem.
Drug addiction has been Malaysia ’s number one problem for more than two decades.

With a cumulative figure of about 240,000 identified drug addicts nationwide since the 1980s, drug abuse still poses a major problem, par ticularly among those aged between 15 and 40, who make up 80 per cent of the drug addicts in the country.
It is time for organisations and associations aswell as the Malaysian community to work closely to combat the drug menace and save our younger generation from the scourge of drugs.
As the key to the fight against drugs lies in prevention, a national-level prevention strategy is needed at home, schools, society and the workplace to eradicate the problem.
The active role of parents and the community in the campaign to battle drug abuse is also vital and must be intensified if the nationwants to ensure that drug addiction among teenagers and yo u t h does not become more prevalent.
Granted that drug abuse is still a national problem despite stringent laws, there cannot be any let-up in the national effort to eradicate the problem.
Concerned as we are with youth involvement in drugs, the MCPF wishes to suggest that:

Youth must learn how to cope with the stress of daily life without resorting to drugs. This could be done through spiritual means or engaging in healthy recreational activities;
Youth must resist “peer pressure” if they are urged or influenced to do things which they know is wrong, improper and which leads to self-destruction;
They should be educated about the dangers of drug abuse and addiction through seminars, workshop, books and publications.
They should pass on information about the harmful effects of drugs to their friends; and
They must develop courage, discipline, a sense of responsibility and self-esteem to build a better future for themselves and the country by rejecting drugs.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE for Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation

Source: NST – March 10, 2008