PETALING JAYA: He once abused drugs for 20 years but now, even he shudders at how lethal synthetic drug-laced vape devices are these days.
“When I used drugs such as cannabis or heroin, I could still work for a living. However, from what I have observed and come across now, those using synthetic drugs become completely overwhelmed,” said Recovery and Community Malaysia anti-drug advocate Armizad Abdul Wahab.
“They lose awareness of their surroundings. The high is far more intense and debilitating.
“I know many who abused methamphetamine ended up with permanent mental health problems and little hope of rebuilding their lives.”
He now runs a food business after being drug-free for the past six years ago.
Armizad, 45, often shares his path to recovery on social media to encourage others to quit drugs.
To him, synthetic drug-laced vape devices are a worrying new front in Malaysia’s battle against addiction.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan told The Star about the growing concern of youngsters using synthetic drug-laced vape devices.
He said the ease with which synthetic drugs could be consumed through vape devices had made them particularly appealing to younger users.
“As far as the police is concerned, our stand is that vapes should be banned entirely. It would make enforcement and protecting youngsters easier,” he said.
Armizad said the biggest difference between drugs of the past and today’s synthetic drugs was how easily they could be obtained and consumed.
“In the past, heroin users had to look for drug pushers, buy the drugs secretly and use special equipment in hiding.
“Today, drug-laced vape devices can be ordered through social media, delivered to your doorstep and used openly because vaping itself is legal,” he said.
Armizad, who first turned to drugs at the age of 19 and remained addicted for more than 20 years before undergoing rehabilitation, said the ease of access made synthetic drugs far more worrying than the conventional drugs he abused in the past.
Infectious diseases counsellor Amirul Zulkilman, who works at a government health centre and has counselled hundreds of drug users, said boys experimented with drug-laced vape devices out of curiosity, driven by peer pressure and the desire to “fit in”.
As for the girls, he said they usually picked up the habit due to emotional distress, including relationship breakdowns as well as attempts to lose weight.
Amirul said the young users he had counselled described an overwhelming sense of euphoria after taking the drugs.
“The effects of each puff last only about 25 seconds causing users to keep inhaling to maintain a ‘high’. Over time, they build tolerance and need higher doses to achieve the same effect,” he said.
Amirul said the drugs triggered massive releases of dopamine, a brain chemical responsible for feelings of pleasure, reward and motivation.
“If we have a hearty meal, dopamine rises by about 300% in our body but synthetic drug can raise it by five times more. This is why it is so addictive,” he said.
Drug-laced vape devices could be obtained in e-commerce and social media platforms for between RM180 and RM200, he said.
“It is also small enough to be carried and used almost anywhere without attracting attention. Gradually, a user loses interest in family, studies, work and hobbies and eventually, all they want is the drug,” he said.
