JOHOR BARU: Police and relevant agencies should move quickly to gazette new prohibited substances and chemical compounds found in synthetic drugs under the Poisons Act 1952, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said this would allow enforcement agencies to take legal action more effectively against those involved in the abuse and distribution of emerging synthetic drugs.
"The challenge faced by the police is when a poisonous substance is detected in a synthetic drug, but it is not listed under the Act.
"This will have implications for police investigations.
"We have discussed the matter at the Cabinet level, and coordination between the Home Ministry, Health Ministry and Chemistry Department is key to resolving this issue," he said.
He said this after attending the Drug-Free Aspiration Roadshow Programme at SMK Puteri Wangsa here on Friday (June 13).
Saifuddin said Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) remained the most dominant drug threat in the country, accounting for 73.9% of drug abuse cases.
He added that the majority of those involved in synthetic drug abuse were aged between 15 and 39.
"Based on the 2025 Drug and Substance Abuse Report, a total of 191,832 drug addicts and substance abusers were recorded nationwide.
"Among the states with the highest number of cases are Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis," he said.
In Johor, he said 20,996 individuals were recorded as being involved in drug abuse, with a prevalence rate of 499 cases for every 100,000 residents.
