LABUAN: Synthetic drugs account for 83% of drug abuse cases recorded in the country, prompting the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) to closely monitor the emerging trend involving fentanyl, says its director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh.
He said methamphetamine remained the most commonly abused synthetic drug, while the remaining 17% involved narcotics such as cannabis and heroin.
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"The use of synthetic drugs is worrying as we are seeing various types being abused, with methamphetamine being the highest.
"AADK is also monitoring the new trend involving fentanyl, and the agency is equipped with urine test strips to detect certain substances," he told reporters after launching the Jelajah Aspirasi Bebas Dadah and Kampung Aspirasi Bebas Dadah programme at Dataran Kampung Belukut here on Sunday (July 5).
According to him, the test strips available to AADK could detect several substances, including amphetamine-type stimulants, or methamphetamine, fentanyl, AB-PINACA (a synthetic cannabinoid), cocaine and ketamine.
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Ruslin said fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, and recent seizures show a need for AADK to strengthen monitoring to identify its presence and pattern of abuse.
He said urine tests would also be conducted again on those undergoing rehabilitation to identify the specific types of drugs they had taken.
"We do not want to only know that a person is involved in drug abuse, but also to identify what type of drug is being abused so that intervention and rehabilitation can be more targeted," he said.
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Ruslin said AADK was also concerned about the abuse of drugs through e-cigarettes and vape devices, which posed a growing challenge in detection and prevention.
On the increase in drug cases in states located near border areas, he said efforts must not only focus on enforcement and supply control, but also on reducing demand.
Meanwhile, he said Labuan currently had 268 drug addicts undergoing AADK rehabilitation, with males accounting for 91.6% and females, 8.4%.
So far this year, amphetamine-type stimulants accounted for 98.5% of drug abuse cases in Labuan, he added. – Bernama
