KUALA LUMPUR: Students as young as 13 have fallen into the trap of synthetic drugs, with cases of abuse among school-going youths showing a sharp increase over the past five years. National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) data revealed that 54,791 children in primary and secondary schools were detected for synthetic drug abuse and addiction in 2020. “However, for synthetic drug addiction, treatment relies heavily on intensive psychosocial therapy. Another major challenge is the intensity of psychological addiction associated with synthetic drugs, he said. In contrast, Ruslin said synthetic drug treatment centres focus more on managing behavioural and mental health complications from the outset.
