MOE ready to collaborate to curb drug abuse among students

KUALA NERANG: Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said his ministry is ready to collaborate with all parties to find the best way to address drug abuse among school students.
"Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (Deputy Home Minister) was right to raise the alarm. We have to collaborate with other agencies under NBOS (National Blue Ocean Strategy)," he told reporters after visiting a mushroom farm, here today.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was also present.
Nur Jazlan reportedly said that students in 420 schools nationwide are at high risk of serious drug abuse and if the situation is ignored, the drug addiction problem would worsen making it difficult to control.
He said random screening of 36,675 students in 2015 found that 1,475 tested positive for drugs.
Of the total, 1,075 students or 73% tested positive for amphetamine-type stimulants while the rest were positive for ganja-related drugs.
Mahdzir said his ministry was not giving up the fight against drug abuse and would continue to implement programmes to curb the menace.
"We have the list of schools involved and are working with the police on a continuous basis," he added. —Bernama