Synthetic drugs: IPTS students from well-heeled families targeted by syndicates

MALACCA: Local drug syndicates are targeting private higher education institutions (IPTS) which are among the easily penetrable markets to sell synthetic drugs as the students, usually from high-income background, have high purchasing power.
Home Deputy Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said this was also because the drugs were difficult to detect without the use of state-of-the-art equipment.
He said most of the students opted for synthetic drugs, either for entertainment or to stay up late at night to study, especially during the examination season.
"The drug addiction pattern among the students of higher education has changed over the years, including the type of drugs taken and its effects on addicts.
"If they take ganja (marijuana) or heroin, the physical effects, particularly changes in their attitude and imagination, become more pronounced than (taking) synthetic drugs," he told reporters after launching the International College of Yayasan Melaka's (KAYM) Students Chapter of the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam) here today.
Also present were Pemadam deputy president Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah and KAYM chief executive officer Datuk Saroni Judi.
Commenting further, Nur Jazlan, who is also Pemadam president, said drug abuse in schools was now alarming as the latest record from the National Anti-Drug Agency showed that about 2,100 students from 178 primary and secondary schools nationwide had tested positive for drugs.
He said among efforts that had been taken to curb the students from getting involved in drug abuse was by training more cadres among members of the Pemadam's student chapter at higher education institutions in stages.
"These cadres will be equipped with knowledge on drugs and how to deal with or rehabilitate individuals involved in drug abuse, especially those in primary and secondary schools," he added. — Bernama