GLUE-SNIFFING TO BE MADE ILLEGAL

[Alfa]

GLUE-SNIFFING TO BE MADE ILLEGAL


GLUE-sniffing will be an offence under a new law being drafted to curb the abuse of intoxicating substances.


"Right now, there is no law that can be used to charge someone who sniffs glue because it is not considered a type of drug," said Internal Security Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Abu Seman Yusop.


However, he said many factors had to be considered because the Government could not ban the use of glue, which was important in certain sectors such as handicraft-making and automotive.


Replying to Datuk Dr Rahman Ismail (BN -- Gombak), Abu Seman said that 7,000 glue addicts were detected over the past five years.


The Government, he said, was now taking preventive measures such as organising anti-drug campaigns in schools to educate youngsters about the dangers of substance abuse.


Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (BN -- Jasin) said some schoolchildren could not sit for the UPSR examination because they were high on glue.


He said he had also received complaints from teachers that many students did badly in school as their heads went "blank" due to substance abuse.


Later in a press conference, Abu Seman said statistics showed that the glue addicts were mostly aged between 16 and 29, but the more serious cases came from those aged between 20 and 24.