Drug menace seeks to enslave Sarawak’s young ones if left unchecked
KUCHING: Nathan Achuk is a worried parent these days.
A father of three teenage daughters, Nathan, who is SMK Lake Parent-Teacher Association chairman, is not happy with the latest menace in town – the influx of drugs into rural areas, including his neighbouring kampung.
In Bau, he said, the problem was at a critical level and if not addressed, Sarawak would suffer.
“The problem is very real. It is time for us to panic and really do something,” he said.
Nathan said it was widely known that in every kampung there were dealers, but unfortunately, it was the people within the kampung that made it so hard to eradicate drug activities.
He said there were very young addicts out there and his concern was drug peddling creeping into schools. “As a parent myself, I am naturally concerned.”
He knows of cases where students had tested positive for drugs in some schools during random checks, which clearly shows the problem is real.
He is thankful that Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh has shown his concern as well about the situation and had carried out anti-drug campaigns in schools.
Nathan believes that parents should be the first to stop their children from falling prey to the drug menace by being attentive to their physiological needs.
“It is good to start restricting them from handphone usage, and then doing things together as a family.”
He wakes up his girls early in the morning and takes them for a walk before they start school.
Despite telling his children the danger of drugs, Nathan said he told them not to blame their friends.
“Friends can urge one along but I don’t think they will force the drugs on anyone. So, take it that you are weak if you want to take drugs,” he pointed out.
Asking community leaders to be more sensitive to the situation, Nathan said it was not the time to keep quiet.
Community leaders, he said, had been nominated to do things for the villages, to lift them up and not to sweep bad issues under the carpet.
“The drug menace does not know religion, race…once hooked, it is a serious problem that affects families. The negative effect is tremendous. It is not a case of the poor or rich anymore. It is a social problem that all taxpayers have to pay dearly.”
“Since the last three years, suddenly the drug issue is becoming a problem. Why was the problem allowed to escalate until all the rural areas were affected from south to the north?
“From the media, the authorities themselves said the whole state had been penetrated by the drugs problem. It is just disgusting that we allowed this to happen,” he said.
Nathan hoped that the authorities would get to the bottom of the issue.
“Enforcement is so important and there must be more anti-drug campaigns to create awareness. Every school has a liaison officer. And the liaison officer must be pro-active and be more alert.
“If we don’t tackle this issue fast, it is going to explode in our face,” he warned.
TOMORROW: National Anti-Drugs Agency volunteer produces video clip to encourage parents to report their children for drug abuse
