PUTRAJAYA, Jan 17 — The Cabinet Committee on the Eradication of Drugs has proposed to impose a curfew for young Malaysians.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said based on a study of the juvenile curfew enforced in Iceland, the move could be replicated and successfully curb drug-related incidents among  those under 18.

"It is a model that we can actually emulate. It may be a bit more difficult because we have the Malaysian culture of 24-hour mamak stalls.

"We are seriously considering it... because we found that the sniffers, especially, are very young,” she told reporters after chairing the Cabinet Committee on the Eradication of Drugs at the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) meeting, here, today.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also women, family and community development minister, said that the government is looking at other areas of youth such as housing condition and education.

She said parents cannot depend entirely on the government to safeguard the welfare of their children.

"The responsibility of parenting cannot be given only to the government. You have to also assume your responsibility as a parent,” she said.

In Iceland, a plan called Youth In Iceland had implemented several measures to curb its drug-abusing, booze-swilling youth, including placing those aged 13 to 16 under a 10pm curfew in winter, and midnight in summer.