By TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE, CHAIRMAN ALLIANCE FOR A SAFE COMMUNITY
KOTA KINABALU: I am deeply concerned by the warning from the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) that synthetic drugs now account for 73% of drug abuse cases in Malaysia, with an increasing number of young users suffering from mental health disorders, particularly through the misuse of vape devices.
This alarming trend should serve as a wake-up call to all Malaysians. Synthetic drugs are no longer merely a drug abuse problem—they have evolved into a serious public health, mental health, and social crisis.
Unlike conventional drugs, synthetic drugs are manufactured using dangerous chemical compounds that are often far more potent and unpredictable.
Their effects on the brain can be devastating. Frequent use can damage brain function and alter normal chemical activity, increasing the risk of severe mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, violent behaviour, and in some cases, long-term schizophrenia-like symptoms.
This is what medical experts commonly refer to as a “dual diagnosis”—where an individual suffers simultaneously from substance use disorder and a mental illness.
Such patients are much more difficult to treat because both conditions interact and reinforce one another. If the addiction is not addressed, mental illness becomes harder to manage.
Conversely, untreated mental illness often leads to continued drug dependence.
The growing use of synthetic drugs through vape devices is particularly disturbing. Many young people are unaware that what they are inhaling may contain dangerous synthetic substances that can rapidly impair judgment, damage the brain, and trigger serious psychiatric conditions.
The discreet appearance of vape devices also makes enforcement and detection much more challenging.
This issue demands a comprehensive national response involving government agencies, schools, parents, healthcare professionals, community organisations, and the private sector.
Among the immediate measures that should be considered are:
* Intensify nationwide enforcement against the manufacture, trafficking, online sale, and distribution of synthetic drugs, including those concealed in vape liquids and cartridges.
* Strengthen border controls to prevent the smuggling of synthetic drug precursors.
* Expand public education campaigns, especially in schools, colleges, and universities, to educate young people on the dangers of synthetic drugs and drug-laced vape products.
* Increase mental health screening for individuals undergoing drug rehabilitation so that those with dual diagnosis receive integrated treatment rather than separate interventions.
* Enhance collaboration between AADK, the Ministry of Health, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and mental health professionals to provide coordinated care and rehabilitation.
* Equip parents and teachers with the knowledge to recognise early warning signs of drug abuse and mental health problems before they escalate.
* Review existing laws relating to vape products to ensure they cannot be exploited as a delivery system for dangerous synthetic substances.
Drug rehabilitation today must go beyond treating addiction alone. It must also address the psychological and psychiatric consequences of synthetic drug use.
Without integrated treatment, many recovering addicts will remain vulnerable to relapse, self-harm, violence, homelessness, and involvement in crime.
The Alliance for a Safe Community (IKATAN) fully supports AADK’s efforts in highlighting this growing threat.
We urge all stakeholders to recognise that preventing synthetic drug abuse is not solely a law enforcement responsibility—it is a shared national responsibility involving families, schools, healthcare providers, employers, religious organisations, and every member of society.
Malaysia cannot afford to lose another generation of young people to synthetic drugs and preventable mental illness. We must act decisively, collectively, and urgently before this crisis grows beyond our control.
