ALTERNATIVE DRUGS FOR DRUG ADDICTS IN MALAYSIA Current Home

Countries Disease

•Taken orallyKetum leaves

•Taken by inhalingInhalants

1. Mitragyna Speciosa

• the leaf is generally regarded as a "substitute" for other types of drug abuse, especially ganja (cannabis).

• The leaf is used as a "supplementary" drug during opium or heroin withdrawal treatment.

• According to some sources, the leaf helps addicts during withdrawal because of its morphine-like qualities.

• Others say it is the hallucinogenic and/or depressive properties that do the trick. Whatever, the leaves when chewed give a "high" and supposedly assist the withdrawal process, which otherwise would be agonising. Some even claim that its juice acts as a general tonic.

• The active substance of ketum is the alkaloid mitrigynine.

• The plant is indigenous to Malaysia, growing mostly wild in the northern part of the peninsula, from Kedah to as far as Thailand.

• In these areas, there are even ketum farms which provide a regular income. It has various uses, including as a cheap alternative medicine.

• One of the farmers reportedly said traditional healers use ketum for deworming, improving blood circulation, and even to treat diabetes. Although better scientific documentation is still needed to verify these claims, the popularity of ketum is undeniably related to its medicinal virtues.

However,it also has its own value

• Legal status ~Kratom is a controlled substance in Thailand, Bhutan, Australia, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania and Sweden (Mitragynin) as of September, 1, 2011. Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma). In Malaysia, kratom is scheduled under the Poisons Act.

What is its status in MALAYSIA?

• Sale of 'ketum' leaves to be made a serious drug offence• JITRA (Jan 12, 2007): The government has submitted a

working paper to the Attorney-General's Office to have the "daun ketum" (leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree) to be listed as a dangerous drug, thus making thesale of the leaves a serious drug offence.

• Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharom said presently, offences related to ketum leaves were placed under the Poisons Act where punishment meted out are much lighter.

ILLEGAL~

• "The government is prepared to have offences linked to ketum leaves to come under the Dangerous Drugs Act," he said when launching a Belia Benci Dadah (Youth Hate Drugs) programme in Kampung Keda Wang Tepus near here today, reports Bernama.

• He said public was alarmed that use of the leaves is becoming more widespread as the effect is the same as taking drugs.

• Mohd Johari said the "mitraginin" in the leaves also caused users to become addicted.

2. InhalantWhat is inhalant?

Inhalants are products that give off chemical vapours. When a person purposely inhales the vapours, they may feel temporarily light-headed and giddy. Repeated large doses can make a person feel and act as if they have been drinking alcohol.

• Paint thinners• Glue• Nail polish remover• Gasoline• Petrol• Dried Cows’ dung

Common used Inhalants (Malaysia)Generally it contains psychoactive drug

• Some inhalants, such as propane gas, are inhaled straight from the can.

• Other solvents can be inhaled after the substance is put inside a plastic bag.

• Sometimes a cloth rag as a way to filter out undesirable particles in the product.

• Some young people will pour a substance like glue onto the sleeve of their clothing and inhale it from there.

How Inhalants are Used

• All inhalants are absorbed through the lungs and travel quickly through the bloodstream to the brain. This creates an immediate but brief feeling of intoxication.

• Solvents produce an alcohol-like effect lasting up to 45 minutes. Users may have a distorted perception of shapes, colours, time and space. This is usually followed by an hour or two of drowsiness.

• Nitrous oxide produces a dream-like state and loss of motor control that lasts a few minutes.

• Nitrites cause blood to move quickly to the brain producing an immediate “rush” that lasts a few minutes.

How do inhalants work?

• Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart failure and death. Heart failure results from the chemicals interfering with the heart's rhythm regulating system, causing the heart to stop beating. This is especially common from the abuse of fluorocarbons and butane-type gases. High concentrations of inhalants also cause death from asphyxiation, suffocation, convulsions or seizures, coma, choking or fatal injury from accidents while intoxicated.

Effects :

• Hearing loss - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers) and trichloroethylene (cleaning fluids, correction fluids)

• Peripheral neuropathies or limb spasms - hexane (glues, gasoline) and nitrous oxide (whipping cream, gas cylinders)

• Central nervous system or brain damage - toluene (paint sprays, glues, dewaxers)

• Bone marrow damage - benzene (gasoline)• Liver and kidney damage - toluene- containing substances

and chlorinated hydrocarbons (correction fluids, dry- cleaning fluids)

• Blood oxygen depletion - organic nitrites ("poppers," "bold," and "rush") and methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners)

Other irreversible effects caused by inhaling specific solvents are:

• Inhalants are most popular among young people between 10 and 16 years old. Often they try inhalants only once or twice to see what the experience feels like.

• Inhalants are inexpensive, legal and easy to access. Their effects last a short time. These factors make using inhalants attractive to pre-teens and early teens.

• Some people who use inhalants regularly may become dependent on the way substances make them feel. They may find themselves using inhalants even when they don’t want to. Chronic users tend to be in their twenties.

• For some people, solvent use is a form of escape from things they don’t like in their lives.

• Cannot be traced in urine test

http://psychoactiveherbs.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=21

http://www.kratom-world.com/malaysia.html

http://heretohelp.bc.ca/publications/factsheets/inhalants

http://www.theantidrug.com/drug-information/commonly-abused drugs/inhalants-huffing/default.aspx

http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/inhalant-abuse/

Sources

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