KOTA KINABALU: The number of drug addicts detected in Sabah for 2012 fell by 82.86 per cent compared to the number in 2011, according to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir.
Only 12 cases were detected in 2012 compared to 70 in 2011 in Sabah, he said this when launching the Kota Kinabalu City Pemadam’s annual general meeting (AGM) at the City Hall yesterday.
He also said Kota Kinabalu, which once registered the highest number of drug addicts in Sabah, was now behind Sandakan, Tawau and Beaufort respectively.
Nationwide, a total of 8,468 addicts were detected between January and November 2012, which represented a reduction of 18.44 per cent compared to the 10,383 addicts detected during the same period in 2011.
“They comprised 4,948 new addicts (58.43 per cent) and 3,520 repeat addicts (41.57 per cent),” he said.
A total of 6,535 new addicts and 3,848 repeat addicts were detected during the same period in 2011.
He said the statistics were obtained from the National Drug Information System or BIONADI.
The report by BIONADI also stated that on average, 15 new drug addicts and 11 repeat addicts were detected daily between January and November 2012 in the country, he said.
So Abidin urged all members of the community to join hands with the authority in addressing the drug menace.
He said that Pemadam (National Drug Agency), City Hall, Police or Rela would be unable to address the issue on their own.
“The public have a role to report drug related activities at their respective areas as the authority and agencies cannot monitor the entire city all the time,” he said.