COVID-19 has impacted our life in many ways, especially in health and economic wellbeing. On top of that, the world sees the rising of drug use and abuse as COVID-19 drags on. Overdoses have spiked since the onset of the pandemic. Why is this happening and how to deal with it?
The World Drug Report 2021 published by United Nations identified several reasons for drug use associated with COVID-19. Boredom topped the list and other reasons include anxiety from pandemic, stress due to lockdown, more time spent with friends or families who are drug users and stockpiling of drugs before lockdown.
These reasons shed some light on drug addiction in our country. According to National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), majority of drug addicts are low-educated teenagers and unemployed young adults. The main reasons they got involved in drug abuse were peer influence, curiosity and enjoyment.
It is common for people to turn to their friends when they are bored, stress or facing family problems. As a result, they are more exposed to drug abuse if drug addicts are part of their circle of friends. Research on group identity also found that teens in pop, techno, skate, hip-hop and hippie groups are more likely to use substance, as compared to those in quiet, sporty, religious or computer groups.
Thus it is very critical to create a healthy living environment and leisure activities for youth and young adults. Applying the concept of time displacement, drug abuse can be avoided if the time spent with drug users is constraint by other pleasure and positive activities.
High level of curiosity and energy in youth can be beneficial if it is channelled for the right causes such as in education or community empowerment. Continuous investment in effective public awareness programmes help to eliminate and decrease drug abuse.
How far can a religion prevent drug abuse? The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) surveyed how religiosity relates to drug-taking activities. An analysis from 70,000 respondents concluded that across all illicit drugs, the non-religious respondents had a past year drug usage rate that was almost three times higher than the religious respondents. In other words, religious people are less often to take drugs, in comparison to less or non-religious people.
How can we relate the findings with the situation in our country when many drug addicts are located in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu—the states that seem to be more Islamic and have higher religious population?
Well, religious people are not entirely risk-free when it comes to drug misuse. In fact, the first recorded drug phenomenon in Islam was traced to the late tenth century in the holy city of Mecca and was also used among mystics to arouse mental excitement, divine inspiration and endure long hours of meditation and zikr. The idea of using opium and cannabis as potent medicines and therapeutic needs often ended up with maximum dosages and frequent repetitions.
History may repeat itself and this probably explains the advocacy for medical marijuana and kratom among the Malays nowadays. In Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, Ibn Sina described the extraction method of opium and mentioned that opium dulls the intellect, impairs consciousness, weakens digestion and causes death by freezing natural faculties. As such, we need more public education on medicinal properties of cannabis and kratom for instance, together with its health risks.
Apart from religious background, drug abuse is often associated with poverty and low education, when the reality works the other way around. Recreational drug is a luxury market. Cannabis is branded as a premium and higher-priced product and consumers who focus on health and wellness substituted cannabis for alcohol. The purchase of cannabis has increased by 25-30% today than prior to COVID-19.
As the poorer communities may use drugs as coping mechanism, peer acceptance or income generating activity, they may eventually fall into drug use disorder. Unlike the rich who can afford to pay for quality drugs and receive treatment in private rehab centres, the poorer may trouble themselves into drug-related crimes or consume counterfeit drugs and receive their treatment in government’s Cure and Care Rehabilitation Centres.
The Malaysian law required drug addicts to undergo compulsory rehabilitation and treatment programmes for two years. The proposed change of punishment by replacing the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 with the Drug and Substance Abuse Act will enable more drug addicts to be rehabilitated instead of being imprisoned. As drug addicts from poorer group often being perceived negatively as criminals rather than victims, we need to break the stigma and instead help them towards faster recovery and smooth reintegration into community. Otherwise, they will relapse or worse, suffered from emotional or mental health due to social isolation and marginalisation.
In sum, drug use and abuse has increased during COVID-19 for a number of reasons. The world need strong support from families, communities and government to help addicts in their journey towards recovery, as well as in mitigating future drug abuse. COVID-19 has already impacted the economy and poor handling of drug abuse will add the cost due to loss of government revenue from illicit trafficking, imprisonment and rehabilitation costs, plus productivity loss from young talents when the country is moving faster towards becoming an aging nation.
