73% of drug abuse cases involve synthetic drugs, says agency

 Anti-drugs agency director-general Ruslin Jusoh says methamphetamine, yaba pills and ecstasy are among the most widely abused substances.

National Anti-Drugs Agency director-general Ruslin Jusoh said east coast states recorded some of the highest rates of synthetic drug addiction in the country, particularly involving yaba pills. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

People aged between 15 and 39 account for 84% of synthetic drug addicts in the country, says the National Anti-Drugs Agency.

Its director-general, Ruslin Jusoh, said amphetamine-type stimulants such as methamphetamine, yaba pills and ecstasy are among the most widely abused substances.

“Approximately 73% of all drug abuse cases involve synthetic drugs, while the remainder are traditional drugs such as heroin and cannabis.

“We have observed that synthetic drugs are increasingly popular because they are easy to obtain and act more quickly than traditional drugs,” Bernama reported him as saying in Kepala Batas, Penang today.

Ruslin said east coast states recorded some of the highest rates of synthetic drug addiction in the country, particularly involving yaba pills.

“This is in line with the surge in synthetic drug use, which now dominates most drug addiction cases in Malaysia. Case numbers remain high in west coast states as well. However, in east coast states, yaba pills are far more prevalent than heroin or cannabis,” he said.

Also known as “pil kuda” or horse pills, yaba pills contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. - FMT