KUCHING, Nov 6: A total of 56 student drug traffickers were found to be distributing drugs in school this year.
In reply to a question from Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting today, Welfare, Community Well-Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Assistant Minster Datuk Francis Harden Hollis added that in 2018, a total of 16 schools with high numbers of students testing urine-positive for drugs were identified and investigated under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Prevention Measures 1985) Act 316.
“The Royal Malaysia Police through its Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) has developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) that was approved on January 10, 2019 to address drug abuse among school children in Sarawak.
“JSJN has also drafted a strategic plan to identify students who are at risk of drug abuse, identifying the environment where these student are living, drug trafficking networks among school children and adopting appropriate abstinence approaches for them,” Francis said.
This year so far, 3,649 students from 182 secondary schools in Sarawak were tested for drugs and 274 urine tests came back positive for drugs.
In 2018, 2,967 students from 160 secondary schools were tested and 301 students tested positive for drugs.
“This indicates that our intervention efforts are effective. To address the problem of drug abuse in schools, an officer specialising in drug prevention education (PPDa) has been stationed at each district education office. They are responsible in helping to coordinate drug prevention education programmes in their respective schools,” Francis said.
Apart from that, the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) also conducts random inspections in schools twice a year.
Francis added that Sarawak Education Department, through the implementation of the Integrated Operations to Address Drug Abuse and Substance Abuse (OBID) programme hassuccessfully reduced the number of schools and students testing urine-positive for drugs, compared to 2018.
“In the efforts to rehabilitate individuals caught in drug addiction, through court orders, these students will be housed at the Cure and Care Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) at KM10 Jalan Penrissen Kuching. For voluntary treatment and recovery, they can visit the Cure and Care (C&C) Clinics located in Kuching, Sri Aman, Sibu, Miri and Limbang.” — DayakDaily
