Violent crimes and even gruesome murders committed by individuals under the influence of dangerous drugs are no longer uncommon in this country.

Just last month, a woman was allegedly decapitated by her stepson in Gua Musang, Kelantan. Preliminary investigations by the police found that the stepson was a drug addict who was also experiencing mental problems.

In a similar case that happened on Jan 15, an unemployed man in Kuala Selangor, Selangor, allegedly beheaded his mother when she refused to give him money to buy drugs.

The suspects in both cases were addicted to synthetic drugs such as amphetamines and methamphetamines including pil kuda, which is an amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS).

There have also been many other reports involving the violent behaviour of individuals addicted to synthetic stimulant drugs. In most of these cases, their victims turn out to be their closest family members, raising concerns over the seriousness of the problem of drug addiction in today's society.

Experts contacted by Bernama feel that it is time for the Ministry of Health (MOH) to come forward as the potential game-changer in the treatment of individuals addicted to synthetic drugs.



WAKE-UP CALL

Describing the two recent cases as a wake-up call to the authorities, addiction expert Associate Prof Dr Rusdi Abd Rashid said MOH should take over the treatment of synthetic drug addiction cases.

This is because such cases tend to be impacted more by the psychological aspect, he said, adding that MOH has the expertise to treat individuals who experience psychosis as a result of their addiction to stimulant drugs.

He told Bernama the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) has no expertise in that area and, furthermore, there is no specific treatment to treat synthetic drug addiction issues.

Dr Rusdi, who is also director of the Centre for Addiction Science Studies at Universiti Malaya, is confident that more addicts would come forward to seek treatment for their addiction if MOH takes over the treatment aspect.

"Currently, many addicts are scared to go to AADK as they are worried that if their urine samples test positive they may be placed at a rehabilitation centre for two years," he said, adding that MOH's capability in treating drug addiction is reflected in the success of its Drug Substitution Therapy With Methadone programme for opiate addicts. Opiates are substances with active ingredients that are naturally derived from the poppy plant.

According to Dr Rusdi, 400 MOH clinics nationwide are now offering this programme and each clinic has the capacity to treat 50 to 300 addicts.

The same programme is also offered by about 400 private clinics, with each having the capacity to treat 20 to 200 addicts at any one time.

"There are methadone clinics under MOH that have been upgraded to one-stop centres for addiction, so we say the ministry is ready (to handle individuals addicted to synthetic stimulant drugs)," he added.



IMPROVE SKILLS

Commenting on the violent behaviour of addicts suffering from the effects of psychosis, Dr Rusdi - who is also a psychiatrist at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre - said although psychosis has varying signs, it has two dominant symptoms, namely hallucinations and delusions.

When psychosis strikes, the mind loses touch with reality and extreme psychosis can activate violent and uncontrollable behaviour to the point of injuring or even killing a person, he explained.

To treat this mental disorder, the patient is prescribed antipsychotic medications as well as monitored closely to ensure that he or she does not turn psychotic and pose a danger to others.

Dr Rusdi, meanwhile, said AADK should improve the skills of its officers in order for it to deal better with synthetic drug addiction issues.

"The agency must have trained psychiatrists who can be tasked with assessing the condition of their clients at all times. But AADK has no such expertise and is forced to refer to hospitals equipped with the expertise concerned," he said.

According to Ministry of Home Affairs statistics, as of Aug 31, 2021, a total of 47,863 clients were receiving treatment under AADK, with the majority of them being users of synthetic stimulant drugs.

"Currently, AADK takes care of individuals addicted to stimulant drugs. Many users of opiates such as heroin seek treatment at the methadone clinics under MOH because they are allowed to go to work and take care of their families whilst undergoing this treatment. If they are with AADK or Pengasih, they would have to stay at a rehabilitation centre," he said.



COLLABORATION WITH HOSPITALS

In its website, AADK has stated that, among others, drug addicts are recommended to undergo rehabilitation at a Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, either voluntarily or through a court order under Section 6(1)(a) of the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.

Meanwhile, AADK director-general Sutekno Ahmad Belon refuted allegations that the agency did not have the capacity to handle synthetic drug addiction issues even though there were no psychiatrists at its rehabilitation centres.

He said currently, under the agency's collaboration with selected government hospitals, clients with mental problems caused by their drug addiction are referred to one of these hospitals.

"It's undeniable that addiction to stimulants is linked to psychosis and psychiatrists play an important role in the treatment of the addicts concerned.

"AADK, too, plays a role in providing treatment and rehabilitation in terms of their psychological and emotional aspects and coping skills to prevent any relapse," he told Bernama, adding that the agency has assistant medical officers who assess the mental health of their clients and refer them to a hospital if necessary.

Throughout 2021, a total of 17,987 drug addicts were detected by AADK and out of this figure, 5,614 (31 percent) were repeat addicts.

The same year, AADK recorded 46,246 clients, of which 30,460 were new and 15,774 repeat.

Sutekno also said that the authorities are currently drafting the Drug and Substance Abuse (Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation) Bill to replace the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983.

He said the new law is aimed at strengthening and expanding access to drug and substance rehabilitation services as well as curtailing the abuse of both substances.

Under the Bill, drug users and addicts will be rehabilitated instead of being sent to jail. This change of approach would remove the stigma attached to drug addicts and enable them to be integrated into society.

-- BERNAMA