KUCHING: Stricter and more comprehensive enforcement is necessary to curb the spread of synthetic drugs through vaping, thereby protecting the youth from continuing to get involved in drug abuse.

Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said, the trend of drug abuse is now increasingly shifting to synthetic drugs that are channeled through various mediums including vapes and drinks.

According to him, the development requires the government and law enforcement agencies to always be one step ahead of drug trafficking syndicates through more effective enforcement policies and actions.

"One of the ways this drug spreads at the moment is through vaping. Enforcement against dangerous drugs like this needs to be carried out continuously and the responsible parties need to always be one step ahead of those involved in the spread of drugs," he told the media, here on Thursday.

Dato Sri Abdul Karim who is also the Chairman of the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (PEMADAM) Sarawak said that efforts to combat drug abuse cannot be carried out by law enforcement agencies alone, but instead requires continuous commitment from all parties including the government, educational institutions, youth organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the community.

He added that the aspect of education and awareness among the youth also needs to be strengthened as they are the future generation that will lead the development of the state and the nation.

In the meantime, he also expressed that a vaping ban should be considered as there is evidence of its misuse as a medium for the dissemination of prohibited substances.

"Based on statistics from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) Sarawak, a total of 5,672.5 millilitres of vape liquid worth approximately RM1.02 million have been confiscated for the period from 1 January to 21 June 2026.

"The results of the Department of Chemistry Malaysia’s analysis confirmed that most of the seized vape liquid contained substances listed under the Poisons Act 1952 and the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"During the same period, Sarawak PDRM also recorded 7,561 arrests related to narcotic crimes involving 362 drug dealers, 1,420 drug owners and 5,779 drug addicts and users," he explained further.

However, Dato Sri Abdul Karim shared that Sarawak is commendable as it remains among the states with the lowest drug crime index in the nation.

Therefore, he expressed hope that the cooperation of all parties can continue to be strengthened, particularly in enhancing enforcement at borders to curb the entry of drugs.

"We want to protect young people from the threat of drugs because they are the ones who will inherit the state and the nation in the future," he stressed. -UKASnews