KUALA LUMPUR: RM10 — that is how little it costs to have one's life ruined by drugs, specifically with drug-laced vape liquids.
Bujang (not his real name), a former addict, said vaping marijuana-laced liquids was commonplace in his hometown of Batu Pahat, Johor.
Bujang, who is now seeking treatment at a Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen), said addicts would pool their money to buy a bottle of drug-laced vape liquid for around RM100.
Unscrupulous sellers, he said, would even sell these liquids in drops, charging RM10 for five to 10 drops.
Bujang, who voluntarily checked into the rehabilitation centre, said some people became so addicted to marijuana-laced vape liquid that they even brought the illegal substance to work.
He said he first noticed the phenomenon two years ago, when neighbours in his hometown began bringing their vape devices to work as they could not resist the urge to get high.
He said drug-laced vape liquids provided a "different kind of high" than smoking real marijuana. He said a person could become overly dizzy and nauseous if he or she could not handle it.
Meanwhile, Faris (not his real name), another Puspen client who used drug-laced vape liquids, said the effects on his body were even worse than organic drugs.
"An addict needs to know where to find these liquids as they are not sold in the open market. These liquids are similar to actual marijuana, but as a user, I could feel that these drugs, which have been spiked with chemicals, have even worse effects than organic ones," he said.
National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) director-general Sutekno Ahmad Belon said based on their interviews with addicts undergoing rehabilitation, drugs that had been sold as vape liquids included ice, syabu, methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana.
He advised parents to be observant as vape or even conventional cigarettes could become gateways to illicit drugs.
"Nada has been asked to monitor the use of vape devices among school students by conducting random inspections.
"Parents and teachers must remain vigilant and alert the agency if they sense something amiss," he said.
Additional reporting by Fuad Nizam