An addiction therapist says Malaysia should push to decriminalise drug use in small quantities as it will help addicts on the road to recovery.

Chris Sekar, who is an addiction therapist at Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur, however, says that the minimum quantity allowed for personal use by addicts should be set at 20g.

“Under Malaysia’s Dangerous Drugs Act, 1952, those found in possession of 15g or more of heroin, and 15g or more of morphine, will be charged with drug trafficking, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment, upon conviction,” said Chris.

“I feel they should increase it to at least 20g for personal use. Any more, then it is a different matter.

“I have sympathy for addicts, but traffickers can destroy a nation. I have seen first-hand the damage they do,” said Chris, a former heroin addict.

Malaysia first announced its plan to decriminalise drug use in small quantities in 2019. However, the plan went up in smoke following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Chris, who has been with Gleneagles Hospital for the last 20 years, said decriminalising drug use would in fact, encourage addicts to get help.

“For one, the terminology changes. Instead of being called criminals, they are considered patients, or clients of rehabilitation centres,” said Chris.

“By not putting them in prison, you stand a better chance of rehabilitating them. If they are inside, they could mix with the wrong crowd … people who would not help them overcome their addiction. Some might come out worse than when they went in.”

He said in the United States, drug offenders get to choose where they want to go for treatment.

“If they abscond before their time is up, only then are they thrown into prison.”

On Tuesday, Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy, an honorary associate professor (criminology) at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, said decriminalising drug use would only succeed only if there are proper facilities in place, including support clinics for drug addicts.

Sundramoorthy, who was for the move to decriminalise drug use in small quantities for addicts, said setting up methadone or heroin clinics, among others – where drug users can get access to their required shots – was crucial to the successful implementation of such a policy, if introduced.

Chris said existing rehabilitation centres can act as places where addicts can get their drugs.

“These centres can help addicts wean off their habit by giving them access to their drugs, but in a safe and controlled environment.

“This is because when they are on the streets, they do not bother about hygiene, and would share needles. It’s highly dangerous, as that is how diseases spread,” Chris added.

According to the National Anti-Drug Agency (NADA), the number of drug and substance abusers, and addicts in 2021 was 123,139, an increase from 122,561 the previous year.

The majority of drug addicts were male (95.7 per cent), with youths between the ages of 19 and 39 the most affected (65.9 per cent).

This article first appeared on Twentytwo13.