Hannah Yeoh pushes for online therapy as youth addiction soars, says ‘stay away' message no longer works
She said traditional awareness campaigns urging youth to avoid drugs and other vices have failed to stem addiction, pointing to the persistent rise in such cases.
'For many years, the government has been doing the same thing, telling youths 'let's avoid doing this' or 'stay away from that', but it has not been effective,' she was quoted saying by Free Malaysia Today.
'We need a new approach, which is why I have told my ministry to start providing online support or online assistance.'
Yeoh added that online therapy offers the anonymity and discretion many young people need to seek help, especially for sensitive issues such as pornography addiction.
This comes as she said research by the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia revealed that addiction – from substance abuse to sex and pornography – remains a major issue among youths.
Yeoh also urged for a 'second chance policy' for youth caught in addiction cycles, warning that a single drug record could derail their future and trap them in the welfare system.
'If we say the youth are the nation's assets and future workforce, how do we expect them to contribute if one mistake writes off their whole future?' she asked.
She said her interactions with clients of the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) revealed their desire to recover and lead normal lives without judgment.
AADK deputy director-general (operations) Khairul Anwar Bachok had previously flagged rising addiction rates among students, citing a spike in cases between 2022 and 2023.
Cases among primary school students increased from 11,611 to 12,755, while lower secondary school figures rose from 36,236 to 37,321.
The sharpest increase was seen among upper secondary students, with cases jumping from 47,951 to 55,855.
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