Local Experts Highlight Efforts To Curb Drug Abuse Among Teenagers

Bandar Seri Begawan – Local experts and panellists yesterday laid down the intricacies in coordinating with various government agencies to curb the alarming involvement of young adults and teenagers in drug abuse.

These efforts were among the bigger issues tackled at the National Convention on Health Promotion held at the International Convention Centre which focused on drugs and its effects on mental health.

With the growing number of drug users around the world each year, many of them alarmingly young adults and teenagers, the panel of local experts explained how the various government agencies were coordinating their efforts to eradicate this growing threat.

The panel explained that the scourge of drugs threatens the fabric of the world's society in four main ways.

These, they stressed, included the financial losses to the world's economy of US$200 billion annually, the threats to public safety by the increasing cases of crime, the growing dangers to public health from newly-emerging diseases such as hepatitis and HIV and the ramifications to clinical effects such as its harm to physical and mental health.

Earlier in the session, an officer said that prevention is better than cure and is the best way to prevent sports injuries.

Awang Samuel Lim of Sports Medicine and Research Centre of the Department of Youth and Sports stressed that one of the most frustrating aspects for any athlete is being injured.

“The problem is that despite good training and coaching methods, injuries can still occur,” he said.

Awang Samuel advised that the best steps to safe sports must be that the athlete must warm up and that they should have the skills and techniques as well as fitness to execute the exercise. “This is to prepare the mind, heart, muscles and joints.”

Skill is the ability of techniques and proficiency, he said. The higher the level of skills, the lower the rate of injury.

“To abide by the rules of sports means creating a safe playing environment, promoting good sportsmanship and fair play as well as to develop clear, written rules for training and general conduct,” he added.

Awang Jake Pangalangan, a Fitness Supervisor, said that regular physical activities reduce the risk of causes resulting in illness and premature death.

Regular physical activities help improve health and reduce risks of heart diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Another working paper dealt with evaluating mental health based on Islamic principle with essence on the teachings of the Al-Quran and the Hadith.

The teachings of Islam are also essential in broadening knowledge of psychology and other mental illnesses.

Prof Mohamad Hatta, Head of Psychiatry Department at the Universiti Hospital of Malaya, was giving his findings during talks on "Kesihatan Mental Dari Perspektif Islam" or Mental Health from an Islamic Perspective.

He said that there are four psycho spiritual treatments in Islam.

He noted that there are times when haram can be halal provided there are no other alternatives available.

Islam also emphasises that prevention is better than cure.

Prof Mohamed Hatta also stated that human psychology is divided into mind and soul.

He said that one must possess both mind and soul other than health consciousness to be mentally fit.

It is also noted that healthy behaviour among the patients are being responsive to treatment and be fully independent and responsible on recovering.

This matter was discussed by Prof Ramli, Head of Psychiatry Department at the RIPAS Hospital, in his talk "Kesihatan Mental Di kalangan Pesakit" or "Mental Health Among Patients".

Prof Ramli also touched on mental depression as an illness linked to physical disorders such as diabetes, heart attack and other diseases.

Failure to detect and treat depression invariably leads to death.

Depression often leads to isolation because most patients lose faith in themselves with the infliction.

Meanwhile, Doctor Haji Sallehuddin bin Abu Bakar of the Health Department in Kuala Lumpur tabled his working paper made on Tobacco and Women Health.

In 2000, the World Health Organisation estimated that 1.2 billion smokers were adults aged 15 years and above.

Of that number 74 per cent were from developing countries with a population of low income.

For the developed nations, meanwhile, adult male smokers were recorded at 48 per cent compared to seven percent for women.

The current trend shows an alarming rise in the tendency for women and youth taking up smoking.

According to Doctor Haji Sallehudin, a survey based on human attitude revealed that regardless on the awareness of health risks, smoking is on the rise at an alarming rate throughout the world.

The increase of tobacco use also accounted for the high cost of health care.

Dr Ramli Hassan, a specialist in psychiatry and head of administration of RIPAS hospital, said that women are more prone to bouts of depression and that the causes involved many factors.

Among the factors are imbalance of hormones following birth, domestic and relationship problems that affect the mind, abuse and other emotional issues.

Such upsetting disturbances call for early detection and treatment in which the family play a significant role in helping the patient to recover. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei

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