AADK co-operates with MOH to combat NPS

KAJANG: The National Anti Drug Agency (AADK) concedes that it is facing a challenge in controlling the proliferation in the usage of drugs under the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) category in the country.

AADK director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah said the chemical structure of the mixture of numerous synthethic drugs was easily changed so that any new finding required a scheduling recommendation in the First Schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

''As such, AADK will alert the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) on any finding of drugs under the NPS category for the decision of the Minister of Health whether the drugs can be listed or not.

''At the international level, the Conference of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs (CND) comprising members of the United Nations will discuss any new drug finding worldwide, including from MOH before any NPS drug can be supervised,'' he told Bernama when met at the AADK headquarters in Kajang.

According to Zulkifli, AADK was aware of the development in the abuse of the NPS drugs in the country which required a frequency in reporting the finding of the NPS drugs.

"If in the past the trend was more to the use of traditional drugs such as marijuana, morphine and so on, now it has shifted to NPS category drugs.

"Besides that, the golden triangle drug production area in South East Asia, which used to be more towards planting poppy, is also reported to be the NPS drug production place now," he said.

According to him, drugs in the NPS category, if not tackled, not only do harm but can cause permanent damage to the brain for any of its users.

Zulkifli said the changing chemical chemical structure of the drugs in the NPS category, made it difficult for any entry into the existing schedule.

"When it is not on the schedule, it is difficult for the authorities to take action on any abuse of the drugs in question.

"We need to take further steps to address this matter to assist the authorities by actively participating in various relevant meetings or conferences so that we can inform on any discovery of these new drugs," he said.

-- BERNAMA