Agensi antidadah kebangsaan kementerian dalam negeri

THE COLD TURKEY TREATMENT METHOD
Since 1977, the treatment and rehabilitation concept practiced in Malaysia
has been the ‘cold-turkey` approach i.e. without the use of substitute
drugs. Its strategy is to rehabilitate drug dependants to be effective
members of society, by severing their dependency on illicit drugs and
preventing recidivism. Hence, it works towards sustaining the attitudinal
and behavioral change of the recovering addicts to remain free from illicit
drugs. Treatment and rehabilitation in Malaysia through opiate
maintenance was stopped in 1977, because it does not eradicate
dependence and could be abused. A drug dependant may have built up
remarkable tolerance, hence may need a higher dosage, which leads to
increased health risks from overdose and respiratory problems.
Furthermore, it could also cause the patient to find other drugs, the
moment the effects of the substitute drugs lose their effect (it may well
be due to a smaller dosage of the methadone itself). There is also no
3 2
National Narcotics Agency (1997), Kenali Dan Perangi Dadah, at pg 52-53, & 63.
3 3
[1991] 1 MLJ 498 - Supreme Court.

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Drug Dependants’ Treatments and Rehabilitation :
From the ‘Cold Turkey’ to ‘Hot Turkey’
203
Dr Abdul Rani bin Kamarudin , m/s 193-226
guarantee especially of drug addicts undergoing outpatient maintenance
treatment that they would abstain from taking drugs illicitly. Similarly,
providing needles and syringes to addicts is not a guarantee that the
same will not be shared or used more than once. Such a policy would
also convey the wrong signal as to drug taking. Moreover, such a move
is incompatible with Malaysia’s policy of a lifestyle free from drugs.
34
Furthermore, maintenance on methadone would also not work with non-
opiate misusers (e.g. cocaine) or multi-drug misusers, thus making in-
patient detoxification seemingly the only solution.
Treatment and rehabilitation centres, however, amount to
centralization and imprisonment, making it less accessible for drug
dependants to get support from families and friends. It may also however,
operate as a place for some addicts to establish their drug networking
and thus detrimental to their rehabilitation upon their release. The
Malaysian government is quite lost, bearing in mind that the treatment
and rehabilitation centres have been in Malaysia for quite a long time,
yet the relapse rate at times is 75 %,
35
and may even be higher i.e. 85%.
36
It is now conceded that 75% to 80% of drug dependants relapse after
their discharge from rehabilitation centres. There are now an estimated
of 293,000 identified drug addicts between the age of 21 to 29 years old
despite an overwhelming budget of RM200 million spent in 2005 on
treatment and rehabilitation and RM 92 million in just the first 4 months
of 2006.
37
Datuk Wira Abu Seman, the Deputy Minister of Federal
Territories said that the campaign against drug misuse for the past 20
years amounting to RM 1.3 billion failed to achieve its goal due chiefly
to society’s attitude of “dumping” the problem solely unto the
government.
38
3 4
National Narcotics Agency (1997), Kenali Dan Perangi Dadah, at pg 27, 63 – 67; See also Hough,
M. (1996) Drugs Misuse and the Criminal Justice System: A Review of the Literature, Home Office
Drugs Prevention Initiative, Paper 15 at pg 2 of 3 of Executive Summary, and pg 3 of 11 of
chapter 4: Communities Penalties.
3 5
Berita Harian Online (1998b) Mahkamah Berhak Tentukan Hukuman, Wednesday, 6
th
January
1998; Singapore Straits Times (1999a) Spruce up offices to curb drug abuse, August 29, 1999: http:/
/straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/reg/mal4 0829.html; Singapore Strait Times, 400,000 workers lost
to drug abuse: KL
, August 30, 1999: http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/reg/mal9 0830.html
3 6
Parliamentary Debate, House of Representatives, 25
th
April 2000, pg 39 - 89 at pg 78 82 – a
survey by PEMADAM on 24,000 residents revealed that 85% are relapse cases. This percentage
was, however, disputed by the Deputy Home Affairs Minister.
3 7
Rohana Mohd Nawi reporting for Berita Harian Tuesday, 27
th
Jun 2006, at pg 17, Hanya 25
Peratus Pelatih Pusat Serenti Dipulihkan
, in an interview session with Deputy Minister of Internal
Security, Datuk Mohd Johari Baharun, after the launching of the International Anti-Narcotics
and State of Kelantan Anti-Narcotics Carnival in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
3 8
Utusan Malaysia (oleh Norizan Abdul Muhid), Kempen Antidadah Gagal, Kerajaan Rugi RM 1.3
Billion
, at pg 30, Tuesday 27
th
June 2006.

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JURNAL ANTIDADAH MALAYSIA
JURNAL ANTIDADAH MALAYSIA