KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar today said that harm reduction programme should take more precedence over punitive measures against drug abusers.

The PKR lawmaker said harm reduction programmes are more effective to deal with drug addicts as their condition is mainly medical.

“We cannot only look at the punitive aspect.

“I understand that for those who have committed crimes we want them to be prosecuted, however, but when it comes to before crimes are committed, particularly among the addicts it is evident that if we continue with the punitive measures, the data will show an increased in addicts but harm reduction programmes can help them,’’ she told reporters after launching the Mental Health and Addiction Conference 2019 at the Premiera Hotel here today.

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Harm reduction is a term referring to policies and practices that aim to reduce the adverse health, social and economic consequences of the use of legal and illegal psychoactive drugs without necessarily reducing drug consumption.

She said that harm reduction programmes such as Methadone and Naltrexone maintenance treatment have helped addicts to cope with addiction with the former being proven to be an effective treatment.

“I only suggest what works and I hope KDN (Home Ministry) and other ministries to take heed the need to reform and promote effective programs,” Nurul Izzah said.

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As a means to promote harm reduction, Nurul Izzah revealed that a new harm reduction pilot programme is ongoing in her own parliamentary seat.

Also present at the conference was Associate Professor Dr Rusdi Abd Rashid, Director of the University Of Malaya Centre for Addiction Sciences, who stated that the pilot programme aims to test the effectiveness of Naltrexone.

“The pilot programme will be done at Kuala Muda and Kubang Semang Health Clinic for a year-long period. At the moment, we are going through the Medical Research and Ethics Committee to get our programme approved before we can treat patients,” he said.

Dr Rusdi said a new treatment programme will see the new drug administered once every three months to addicts compared to Methadone treatment which on occasion would require a daily dose.