While spiralling down into drug abuse certainly has negative effects on addicts themselves, the Federal Government also has to shell out money to treat those with addiction, to the tune of RM35 a day for each one.
The Home Ministry explained today that it has spent RM7.9 million from 2013 to 2015 to provide rehabilitation and treatment to drug abusers, which boils down to RM35 in costs for each addict, every day, throughout the country.
“The total expenditure includes RM2.9 million in 2013, RM2.45 million in 2014, an RM2.5 million last year,” said Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed in the Dewan Rakyat today, as quoted by mStar.
Nur Jazlan was speaking in response to a question from independent Bandar Tun Razak MP Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who asked if the Federal Government was prepared to shift its policy on drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal one, seeing as how the cost of treatment for addicts was high.
Nur Jazlan added that for now, Putrajaya would continue viewing drug abuse as a criminal issue rather than a health one.
