Identified drug abusers are sent for compulsory rehabilitation and treatment

programs for two years, as mandated by the Malaysian law.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told that many young
Malaysians found abusing stronger drugs had started with using ganja, which
serves as a gateway drug.
He said although some countries allow the use of marijuana but the issue
needs to be viewed from the perspective of the country and whether there is
a need for it. He had maintained that drugs can destroy lives and create
problems for society.
Alcohol is legal and its use is pervasive in our society. More violent crime,
especially domestic violence, is committed under the influence of alcohol
than drugs. Much drug related crime is committed because drug use
changed the behavior of offenders and enabled them to act violently.
For instance, Great Britain legalized heroin so users could register and obtain
heroin at local pharmacies. This resulted in a dramatic increase in heroin use.
The number of heroin users doubled and illegal heroin importation increased
threefold.
There is a growing misconception that some illegal drugs can be taken safely
with many advocates of legalization going so far as to suggest it can serve
as medicine to heal anything from headaches to bipolar diseases. Todays
drug dealers are savvy businessmen. They know how to market to kids. They
imprint Ecstasy pills with cartoon characters and designer logos. They
promote parties as safe and alcohol-free. Meanwhile, the drugs can flow
easier than water. Many young people believe the new club drugs, such as
Ecstasy, are safe, and tablet testing at raves has only fueled this
misconception.
Legalization advocates claim that the Malaysia government has spent
millions of dollars to control drug production, trafficking, and use, with few, if
any, positive results. The results of the Malaysian drug strategy have been
positive indeed.
Drugs are far more addictive than alcohol. According to Dr. Mitchell
Rosenthal, director of Phoenix House, only 10 percent of drinkers become
alcoholics, while up to 75 percent of regular illicit drug users become
addicted.
Over the past decade, European drug policy has gone through some
dramatic changes toward greater liberalization. The Netherlands, considered
to have led the way in the liberalization of drug policy, is only one of a
number of West European countries to relax penalties for marijuana
possession. Now several European nations are looking to relax penalties on
all drugsincluding cocaine and heroinas Portugal did in July 2001, when
minor possession of all drugs was decriminalized.
These cartels will only be helped with legalization and more addiction, not
hurt.