Johor State Secretary Datuk Ismail Karim (third right) with AADK deputy director (operations) Izhar Abu Talib (second right), who is also 2016 AADK Anti-Drug Expedition roadshow chief, flagging off participants in the expedition programme at Datuk Jaafar Muhammad Building in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. — Bernama photo
SEREMBAN: The National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) recorded 22,000 drug addicts throughout the country last year, up from 20,000 in 2014, said AADK director-general Datuk Suhaimi Abdullah.
He said 60 per cent of the 22,000 were new addicts while the rest were repeat offenders.
“The new offenders are teenagers aged 15 years and older, and their addiction is due to family problems, the environment and a ready supply of drugs,” he told a press conference held before the start of the AADK Anti-Drug Expedition roadshow here yesterday.
Suhaimi said that in Negeri Sembilan, the AADK recorded 2,234 drug addicts last year compared to 2,152 in 2014, an increase of 82 cases.
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the state government was committed to combating drug abuse and the pioneer ‘Drug-Free Village’ project in Sungai Buloh, Jelebu, last year was an effort towards this.
He said the success of the project was encouraging as no new cases were recorded in the district, and it would be extended to all districts in the state.
He said the state government was targeting for the state to be drug-free by 2020 through various efforts and an action plan had been drawn up to fight the drug menace.
“About 70 per cent of crime such as snatch thefts and house break-ins is connected to drug abuse,” he said.
Mohamad said the profiling conducted by AADK found 16 high-risk areas in Negeri Sembilan and 178 in the country. — Bernama