?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=A+Fifty-year+challenge+in+managing+drug+addiction+in+Malaysia&rft.creator=Rusdi+%2C+Abd+Rashid+&rft.creator=Robson+%2C+Noorzurani+&rft.creator=Zahari+%2C+Muhammad+Muhsin+Ahad+&rft.creator=Habil%2C+Mohamad+Hussain+&rft.subject=Social+Psychology&rft.description=The++history++of++substance++abuse++in+Malaysia++can++be+divided++into++pre-++and++post-independent++era.++In++pre-independence%2C+the+main+drug+of+abuse+was+opium+which+was+initially+consumed+by+immigrants+from+China+who+were+introduced+by+the+British+colonialist+to+work+in+%0D%0AMalaya.+The+post-independence+era+began+in+the+1960s+when++young++adults+were++in%C3%9F+uenced++by++the++%E2%80%9CHippy%E2%80%9D+subculture.+At+this+time%2C+consumption+patterns+changed+where+more+Malays+were++involved++in++drug++abuse+compared+to+other+ethnic+groups+(1%2C+2).+%0D%0ABy++the+early+1980s%2C++the+prevalence+of+drug+addiction+increased+and+this+increasing+trend+made+the+Malaysian+government++consider++heroin++addiction++as++a++national+threat.+The+national+anti-drug++task++force+was++formed+to+control++traf%C3%9E+cking+and++to+rehabilitate+addicts+who+%0D%0Awere+involved+in+heroin+addiction+(3).+Legislation+was+introduced+where+mandatory++death++sentence+was+implemented++for++those+who++smuggled+more++than+15+grams++of++heroin.+Drug++addicts++found++to++be++positive+for++heroin++were++forced++to++undergo++compulsory+%0D%0Arehabilitation++for++two++years++(4).+Nationwide%2C++up++to+28++government++drug++rehabilitation++centres+were+established%2C+and+at+any+particular+period%2C+each+centre+accommodated++up++to++500++inmates.+Approximately+RM50+million+a+year+was+spent+to+run+these+centres+(5).+The+centres+were+initially+managed+on+a+total+abstinence+philosophy%3B++however++this++approach++produced++poor+results.+The++latest++survey++showed++that+85%25++of++drug+addicts++relapsed++after++completing++their++rehabilitation+at++these++centres++(4%2C++6).++In++view++of++the++poor++results%2C+substitute+treatment+with+methadone+was+introduced+recently+to+these+centres+(7).One+of+the+visions+of+the+Malaysian+government+was+to+create+a+drug+addiction+free+nation+by+the+year+2015.+However%2C+the+increasing+number+of+drug+addicts+has+caused++a++surge++in+demand+for++rehabilitation++centres%2C+resulting+in+the+inability+of+these+centres+to+cope.+For+example%2C++the++number++of++drug++addicts++increased++by+1%25+from+year+2001+to+2002%2C+but+the+number+of+drug+addicts+detected+in+year+2003+was+36%2C996%2C+a+16%25+jump+from++the++previous++year++(31%2C893).++Furthermore%2C++the+National+Drug+Agency+reported+that+45%25+of+the+cases+were+repeat+addicts.+As+for+distribution+of+new+cases%2C+by+ethnic+group+the+Malays+constituted+71%25%2C+Chinese+10.6%25++and++Indian++8.2%25.+The+majority++(70%25)+were++in+the++socially++and++economically+most++productive++age+group++(20-39++years)++and++almost++98%25++of++the++addicts+who+occupied+these+rehabilitation+centres+were+male.+Currently%2C+the+number+of+drug+users+in+the+country+is+estimated+to+be+250%2C000+but+the+number+is+predicted+to++reach++half++a+million++by++year++2015++(3%2C++8-10).+The+resulting+economic%2Chuman+resource+and+social+loss+is+not+quanti%C3%9E+able+as+the+vacuum+left+by+these+people+in+various+employment+sectors+are+currently+being+%C3%9E+lled+by+migrant+workers.+Thus%2C+it+is+evident+that+the+increasing+trend+in+drug+addiction+poses+a+threat+to+the+future+of+the+nation+(1%2C+6%2C+9).&rft.date=2008&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F8253%2F1%2FJUMMEC-2008-ManagingDrugAddiction-RusdiAR.pdf&rft.identifier=++Rusdi+%2C+Abd+Rashid++and+Robson+%2C+Noorzurani++and+Zahari+%2C+Muhammad+Muhsin+Ahad++and+Habil%2C+Mohamad+Hussain+++(2008)+A+Fifty-year+challenge+in+managing+drug+addiction+in+Malaysia.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F8253%2F