KUALA LUMPUR: Collective action is needed to keep children as young as 10 from being victims of drug addiction, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (pic).
The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said a recent disclosure by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi underscores the severity of Malaysia’s drug crisis.
“It is alarming and deeply disturbing, and urgent collective action is needed,” he said when contacted on Saturday (Sept 27).
“Drug abuse is no longer confined to adults or teenagers, as it is now affecting children at an age when they should be in school, playing and building their future,” he added.
Lee said enforcement alone will not solve the problem, adding that prevention and education must take centre stage.
“Comprehensive drug education must start early in schools and be supported by community-based programmes that raise awareness among parents and young people about the dangers of drugs,” he said.
Lee also called for accessible counselling and rehabilitation services to be strengthened to ensure no child at risk is left without help.
“Equally crucial is society’s role in creating a safe environment free from drug pushers and syndicates who prey on the young,” he added.
“The drug crisis is not just a law enforcement problem, as it is a national social problem. If children as young as 10 are already trapped in addiction, then our future is at stake,” said Lee.
He urged authorities, parents, schools and communities to work together to tackle the issue.
“We must act now, decisively and collectively, to stop this crisis before it claims an entire generation,” he said.
