10 KABD In Perak To Eradicate Drug Abuse At Community Level

IPOH, May 8 (Bernama) -- Ten Drug-Free Aspiration Villages (KABD) have been selected in Perak to enable local communities to move proactively in combating drug abuse at the grassroots level.

Perak State National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) director Mohamad Nor Musa said the initiative was agreed upon in November 2025 through the District Drug Combating Action Council, aimed at encouraging communities to persuade the groups involved to seek treatment voluntarily.

"So we want the community itself to mobilise (the initiative to persuade the groups involved), not only when there is a problem or complaint, as this problem comes from the family or community.

"So, we hope for this KABD, every year another 10 (villages) are added until 2030. We do hope that the community programmes are successful and we empower them to mobilise themselves on issues related to eradication and also public awareness at the community level," he said.

He said this at a press conference in conjunction with the Perak State AADK Night with the Media 2026 here, last night.

Mohamad Nor said the selection of the villages included one area for each district based on the commitment criteria of local leaders as well as at-risk groups or suspected individuals in the areas involved.

He said the KABD approach also emphasises the aspect of love in treating drug addicts as patients, thus eroding the old culture that tends to ridicule or marginalise them, causing the groups concerned to rebel.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Nor said that a total of 191,832 individuals were involved in drug abuse in Malaysia as of 2025, with 14,915 of them recorded in Perak, a decrease of 6.79 per cent compared to 2024, but still worrying and requiring continued action.

However, he said the trend of synthetic drug use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) among individuals aged 15 to 39 years in Perak involved 5,561 individuals, while the use of various types of synthetic drugs also increased by 39.9 per cent compared to 2023.

"AADK also pays serious attention to the issue of repetition or re-addiction which is still a major challenge in recovery efforts. Among the contributing factors are environmental influences, life stress, lack of family support, societal stigma and failure to adapt in the community and workplace.

"This situation shows that prevention alone is not enough, but rather requires a more comprehensive approach involving treatment, recovery, early intervention, psychosocial support and also employment opportunities," said Mohamad Nor.

Commenting on the current challenges, he was concerned about the trend of using vapes mixed with illicit substances, synthetic liquids and hallucinogenic substances such as "magic mushrooms" among school students, which has been detected starting as early as the age of 11, the number of which is increasing.

"Teenagers and students are the most at-risk group due to peer influence, social media culture and lack of awareness of the actual content of the substances used.

"The abuse of these substances can affect academic performance, discipline, mental health and the future of students if not curbed early," he said.

-- BERNAMA