KOTA KINABALU: Eighty-six drug addicts, including 71 new ones and 15 repeat cases, have been detected in Sabah in the last four months of this year.

National Anti-Drug Agency Sabah director Amran Ahmad said Tawau had the largest number of drug addicts at 26, followed by Tuaran (24), Ranau (11), Papar (seven), Sandakan (four) and two each in Kudat, Kunak, Kota Marudu and Semporna.

The most common types of drugs abused were Metamphetamine or Syabu, Ecstasy, Morphine, Ganja, Codeine, cough syrup, Heroin, Amphetamine and Psychotropic pills.

Amran said the drug threat was not new in Sabah, but efforts to curb and prevent the problem would be continued so that the country could be drug free by the year 2015.

“I understand that it is not easy to combat the drug menace but let’s look at it as a challenge to our community, especially parents and the country and we must make it our priority as it was a dangerous substance.

“My agency will continue to inform the public, especially students, why they should avoid drugs,” he said at the National Anti-Drug Day here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Datuk Mohd Dun, who officiated at the event, said the government needed everybody’s effort and cooperation to eliminate once and for all the drug problem and its related activities, which were a threat to the society.

Azizah pointed out that smoking was also a bad habit which should be eliminated. Besides affecting the health, children who were exposed to it may want to try drugs when they grow up, she said.

Azizah said unemployment should not be the cause for Malaysian citizens to be involved in drug trafficking overseas, especially among the graduates.

“They should know beforehand what kind of job they have been offered and ignorance of the drug is unreasonable, especially when they are graduates. We expect them to be knowledgeable individuals,” she said.

On the role of Islamic agencies in combating the drug problem, Azizah said Jakim had implemented several programmes for former drug addicts to prevent them from returning to their old habit.