By Aini Nabilah Sharipuddin
GOMBAK, 30 May 2021: Drug-related discussions have been the focus of the “Drugs Addiction: How Can We Help?” webinar yesterday which featured Puan Suriati binti Sharif as the speaker highlighting the phrase “prevention is always better than cure” as still relevant to current situation.
It is justified that early prevention is better than dealing with the damages later on, and she urged that this phrase be held by all members of the community to avoid falling into a valley of drug addiction.
“Choosing a good friend, enhancing the spirituality components (relationship with God), well-managed emotion and also improving coping skills; being assertive to reject the negative invitation are the preventive steps for individuals to be free from this harmful act,” she said.
She, who worked as the officer of National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), explained in detail that drugs are harmful to humans physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviourally which make drug addicts rely upon drugs to keep surviving.
“At worst, it will cause chronic and recurrent brain diseases as well as the ability to alter structures in the human brain,” said Puan Suriati who performed her duty for Cure and Care Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) at Batu Kurau, Perak.
Peer pressure can also become a contributing factor towards the increase of drug addiction followed by one’s curiosity to have fun, having stress and resistance to pain.
Puan Suriati, who already had about a decade of experience in handling drug addiction management, emphasised that attachment with family alongside positive parenting styles and highly-educated parents is the shield or the protective factor. The highest protective factor that someone has, the lowest the risk that they will receive from the drug succumbing.
She advised the audience “to always eliminate the prejudice and negative stigma especially to our family members who were once involved with drugs by helping to create recovery support for them in their recovery and changing process to transform themselves into a new life”.
The webinar, which was successfully conducted online through CCSI FB Live, was organised by Council of Counselling Students IIUM (CCSI) in collaboration with the Persatuan Kaunseling Universiti Malaya (PERKUM). It aimed to provide awareness towards the students and the public regarding drug-related knowledge and issues. ***