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PETALING JAYA: Incarcerating drug users increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis, says an academic.
University Science Malaysia’s Centre for Drug Research Director, Prof Dr B. Vicknasingam said this in welcoming the announcement by the Youth and Sports Ministry that a new committee has been formed to decriminalise drug use.
“It is timely that the government shifts its response to drug use from a punitive to a health-based approach. However drug use and addiction is a complex issue.
“Therefore a comprehensive and thorough plan based on local data and experience, the best available evidence and global best practices with input from a multi sectoral committee comprising not only of all relevant agencies but also civil societies, academics, researchers and medical and legal practitioners is key to ensure success,” he said in a statement today.
Vicknasingam added local studies conducted have also shown that the cost of incarcerating drug users is far higher than providing treatment in the community.
“Malaysia has been dealing with this drug problem for many decades because of the criminal justice approach without much success. More than 60% of the prison population is made up of people who use drugs,” he said.
Yesterday, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said the government will use a special committee to hasten legal amendments that would decriminalise drug addiction.
“Our stand is that we should distinguish between the drugs addicts that require treatment and the drug trafficker. Addicts are not criminal and should not be sent to prison,” he said in a press conference at Parliament lobby yesterday.
Syed Saddiq did not reveal any time frame for the committee, saying that it will be used to engage related parties in order to get more information.
He said that it is important that youths be given a second chance in life for such offences and not be ostracised by society.
