05/07/2026 12:21 PM

IKATAN Urges National Action Against Vape-linked Synthetic Drugs

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Alliance for a Safe Community (IKATAN) has urged the government to implement a comprehensive national response to address the growing abuse of synthetic drugs, particularly those linked to vape products, saying they now account for 73 per cent of drug abuse cases and are contributing to worsening mental health problems among young people.

Its chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, said data from enforcement agencies showed the trend had become a serious public health, mental health and social crisis requiring urgent intervention.

“Unlike conventional drugs, synthetic drugs are manufactured using dangerous chemical compounds that are often far more potent and unpredictable. Their effects on the brain can be devastating.

“Frequent use can damage brain function and alter normal chemical activity, increasing the risk of severe mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, violent behaviour, and in some cases, long-term schizophrenia-like symptoms,” he said in a statement today.

Lee said many young people were unaware that substances inhaled through vape devices could rapidly impair judgment, damage the brain and trigger serious psychiatric conditions, while the discreet appearance of the devices made enforcement more challenging.

He said the condition, commonly referred to by medical experts as a ‘dual diagnosis’, in which an individual simultaneously suffers from substance use disorder and a mental illness, was more difficult to treat because both conditions reinforced each other.

To tackle the problem, Lee called for tougher nationwide enforcement against the manufacture, trafficking, online sale and distribution of synthetic drugs, particularly those concealed in vape liquids and cartridges, as well as stronger border controls to curb the smuggling of synthetic drug precursors.

He also urged the government to expand awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and universities, strengthen mental health screening for individuals undergoing drug rehabilitation, and enhance collaboration among the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), the Ministry of Health (MOH), educational institutions, law enforcement agencies and mental health professionals.

“We must also enhance collaboration between the AADK, the MOH, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and mental health professionals to provide coordinated care and rehabilitation,” he said.

Lee also called on parents and teachers to recognise early warning signs of drug abuse and mental health problems, while urging the authorities to review existing laws on vape products to prevent them from being exploited as a delivery system for dangerous synthetic substances.

“Drug rehabilitation today must go beyond treating addiction alone. It must also address the psychological and psychiatric consequences of synthetic drug use.

“Without integrated treatment, many recovering addicts will remain vulnerable to relapse, self-harm, violence, homelessness, and involvement in crime,” he said.

-- BERNAMA


 

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