LETTERS: DRUG abuse is the No. 1 enemy of our nation. It has been the bane of society for many years.
We have been fighting the problem since the 1960s.
Drug addiction seems to be on the rise despite the harsh penalties imposed on traffickers.
Peer pressure, curiosity, neglect, emotional and mental problems as well as lack of spiritual and parental guidance are factors that cause teens to turn to drugs.
To put this into context, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS 2022) survey conducted by the Health Ministry found that among Malaysian teenagers aged 13 to 17 who had used drugs, three in four (75 per cent) had initiated use before the age of 14.
Additionally, while 18.6 per cent of teenagers reported having used alcohol at some point in their lives, 64.6 per cent did so before turning 14.
It was also revealed that last year, out of over 137,000 people reportedly battling drug addiction, youths and teenagers made up 65 per cent (73,769) of the total.
Drug addicts pose a serious threat to the community.
Crimes such as break-ins, snatch thefts and sexual assaults have been associated with them.
They resort to petty crimes to feed their addiction.
There have been instances where drug addicts have injured and even killed family members.
Last year, a young man high on drugs killed his parents in a fit of rage by slashing them with a machete.
Drug addiction is draining our resources as the government has to spend on rehabilitation programmes and enforcement.
It is disappointing that drugs continue to get into the country despite the strict checks at the border.
We have to eradicate the drug problem among our young with greater enforcement and cooperation from all levels of society.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times