Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
| Is M’sia ready to legalise drugs? Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:48 PM PST Addiction experts say incarcerating drug addicts is not having the desired effect and countries embracing harm reduction approaches are seeing better results. The Portugal case has been repeatedly referred to and touted as a resounding success, with impressive results. It has reduced addiction, HIV infections, drug-related crimes and drug-related deaths; and more addicts are seeking treatment. It has also freed Portugal police to concentrate on big-time dealers. Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today Malaysia has been urged to consider the decriminalisation of drugs as a new policy to better deal with the country's perennial drug problem. Several experts voiced support for this radical view and said more countries around the world are beginning to accept that drug addiction is a disease which can be treated. Many countries have found that treating drug addiction as a criminal issue has failed, and are considering addressing problem as a health and social issue. "Decriminalising" means that a person possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use does not constitute a crime. Drug trafficking is still considered a serious crime. Internationally, policymakers and experts have taken note of Portugal, which in 2001 decriminalised all drugs including cocaine and heroine. Those found with 10 days worth of drugs would not be arrested, but sent to a Dissuasion Commission which assesses the person's needs and tailors an optional programme for them. The Portugal case has been repeatedly referred to and touted as a resounding success, with impressive results. It has reduced addiction, HIV infections, drug-related crimes and drug-related deaths; and more addicts are seeking treatment. It has also freed Portugal police to concentrate on big-time dealers. Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Zaman Khan said he fully supports the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use in this country too. "Possession of drugs in small amounts should not be treated as a crime. Rather, the addict should be regarded as a patient needing rehabilitation," said Zaman, a former federal CID director and Prisons Department director-general. "I'm not supporting the taking drugs for fun, and I'm not saying go ahead and smoke your drugs," he added. Change in perception However, public acceptance was important, and a crucial a paradigm shift in perception must occur for the anything to work, said Zaman. "I think we are ready. But our people are not making a cry for it yet. You can't expect politicians to go for this without the support of the community. "I believe the government is already looking into this possibility, and are just waiting for us to voice up," said Zaman, who said discussions and debates on this topic were needed. Zaman said top leaders in the country, including Bukit Aman narcotics director Noor Rashid Ibrahim, are beginning to see that criminalising drug addiction was erroneous. Years of experience in the police force and prisons taught Zaman that the old ways of arresting addicts and forcing them to kick the habit have not been successful. "Caning is no solution either. It just drives them deeper underground. And if police are free from catching small-time addicts, you can pay attention to the big-time traffickers,' he said. Prisons are no help as there is access to drugs there and Zaman was quick to admit that. "I would be the last person to deny that drugs never came into prisons. Prison walls are pervious and the drugs somehow came in despite all my efforts to change things." For years, medical professionals and addiction therapists have been advocating the use of drug substitution therapy or medical assisted therapy, which Zaman said has proven to effective worldwide. Zaman said that needle exchange programmes, which was introduced in 2006, was vital in bringing down HIV/AIDS cases in Malaysia. Zaman found it puzzling that on one hand, the government supports medical assisted therapy and needle exchange; but on the other, still regard drug addiction as an offence. "That's a problem. Because addicts who want to get better would not come forward when the an arrest is just waiting outside these clinics and centres," he said.
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