Part 3 of a three-part series
EVERY face tells a story and there’s no disputing that. Only in their case there is a common thread that binds them, one that tells of regret as they recount their story.
The regret stems from making the costly mistake of giving in to peer pressure, boredom, stress or just plain curiosity. And their plunge into uncharted territory from which they have had to struggle to escape.
Such is the narrative underscored by the many drug addicts who manage to return to a life of normalcy. Many don’t succeed, for one reason or another, but for those who do, theirs is a story they want others to learn from.
To get a better understanding, New Sarawak Tribune sat down with several reformed addicts who shared their experiences and related how they had sought help before their addiction got worse.
Jojo Jekly (not his real name) said he started using syabu during his student years.
The 29-year-old from Padawan revealed that he started abusing drugs at the age of 20 while studying at a polytechnic in 2012.
“Back then, I was influenced by my classmates to take syabu to study. When I took it, I was able to study for two to three days straight without the need to sleep. Everything I learned was retained in my head.
“In a week, I would often spend about RM50 to RM100 to get high and I used syabu at least once or twice (a week) to study,” he said.
But by the time he finished his studies, Jojo was already hooked to drugs and began experiencing its adverse effects. He was always fatigued and was also losing weight, both of which concerned him, but he could not stop.
Things came to a head in 2015 when Jojo and his wife were expecting their first child — that was when he realised, he had to stop and promptly checked into a rehabilitation centre.
Looking back, it was the best decision Jojo ever made as to this day he shudders at the thought of what could have happened if he had continued his drug habit.
Jojo’s advice to people who are curious is to not follow their peers who are taking drugs. Don’t get influenced, self-discipline is the way to a good life, he says.
Like Jojo another former addict, Nancy Ojong (not her real name) also picked up drugs while studying, only in her case it cost her education.
The former university student from Serian was hooked to drugs during her third year of study in the peninsula in 2012.
“I was influenced by my friends to try recreational drugs such as Ecstasy and controlled substances like cough medicines and others.
“After that, I also tried syabu because of the stress of living at the university,” said the 32-year-old, lamenting that her habit of taking drugs every three days eventually led to her flunking her studies.
“It also caused me to have a thin body, some broken teeth and made me look like a ‘ghost’ due to a lack of sleep.
“Mentally it also always made me depressed and angry when there was no supply of drugs,” she said.
In 2016, Nancy was sent to a rehabilitation centre by her family and after a few months there, she felt better but her mind kept craving for syabu.
Thankfully self-discipline, a healthy lifestyle and having an understanding and supportive family helped her to eventually kick the habit.
“Since then, I have got a permanent job and I am grateful for my life now.
“My advice is not to try drugs even once because it will be the beginning of a different life.
“Once you have a taste for it, you will have the urge to try again. So, do not try taking drugs. For those who are still addicted, I believe that if I can quit, they can too.”
A third reformed addict, Junie Suaik (not his real name) also regrets abusing drugs which he said had ruined his future as well as his relationship with others.
The 26-year-old born in Kuching revealed that he was hooked at the age of 19 while working as an operator in a factory back in 2014.
“I took drugs to release stress. In a week, I spent hundreds of ringgit,” he said, adding it even amounted to thousands a month sometimes as he took syabu twice or thrice a week.
But all the while he was troubled by insomnia and noticed that his health was also worsening generally.
“My social life was also affected, I had no friends, I was kicked out by my family and often lived in fear of the authorities,” he said.
Junie was finally arrested by police for possessing drugs and tested positive.
He was sentenced to prison for several years and had to undergo drug rehabilitation, after which he managed to stop. That was in 2018.
But to this day the memories haunt him especially about how he had jeopardised his future.
“I advise those who are curious about new things, to not try taking drugs because they will get addicted.
“Drugs is not the way to solve life’s problems such as stress and financial issues. There are always other ways to deal with these problems,” Junie said.
As for Raymond Chong (not his real name) the fear of losing his livelihood and career as a real estate agent, helped him put a stop to his drug addiction.
He revealed that in 2012, he had started using methamphetamine (syabu) due to stress and difficulty in focusing on his work.
“In a week, I would take drugs at least once or twice to focus on getting customers and increasing my income. Some of the side effects I experienced was weight loss, anxiety, insomnia and addiction.
“I spent a lot of money on drug supply, which was surprisingly very easy to get especially with a full-time job. In a month, I spent about RM1,000,” said the 35-year-old from Kuching.
Chong confessed that he stopped taking drugs in 2016 when he became paranoid that the police were after him.
“The fear of losing my livelihood and career made me realise that this was not worth it. In the end, I managed to quit this bad habit and avoid its long-term consequences,” he said.
At first, he found it very difficult to stop but a caring and supportive family helped him cross the divide.
Chong said there were occasions he almost relapsed into his old ways but that fortunately he was never brave enough to try taking drugs again.
“My advice to the community is to not try drugs and to help those struggling with their addiction. We can help them one person at a time,” he said.
All said it is evident that drug addiction is a bane to society given the toll it takes on physical and mental health, work, finances, family, relationships and so forth.
It is the harbinger of all things unwelcome in one’s life, not to mention that you would also be breaking the law.
Sarawak Narcotic Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) chief ACP Jasmirol Jamaluddin urged the community to never engage in any drug abuse.
“If caught abusing, legal action will be taken against those involved in this activity.
“The community have to play their roles by acting as the eyes and ears of the authorities in dealing with this drug problem. Should they have any information on drug abuse or distribution activities, they can channel the information to the NCID Hotline at 012-2087222,” he stated.
