‘Flatten the stomach, boost energy’: How women in Kelantan are being drawn into drug use

Kota Bharu, September 21 — The rising number of female drug addicts in Kelantan, with 598 cases reported last year compared to 526 the previous year, can be attributed to the influence of partners, including husbands and boyfriends, according to the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh. A study revealed that life stress, primarily caused by marital conflicts and husbands' behavior, serves as the main factor for women turning to drugs as a coping mechanism to escape their emotional pain.

Ruslin pointed out that some husbands normalize drug use by claiming it helps manage weight, flatten the stomach after childbirth, and provide extra energy for household chores. He emphasized that drug addiction among women in Kelantan is mainly a result of interpersonal stress and manipulation within an unhealthy domestic environment.

Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) were the most widely used illicit substances among women, with 557 individuals recorded last year. The highest number of drug abuse cases involved women aged 19 to 39, with 409 individuals. AADK's Community-Based Treatment and Rehabilitation (RPDK) programme, which assessed 55 female clients in Kelantan, achieved a recovery rate of 76.4 percent last year.

Of the assessed clients, 42 achieved a good or excellent recovery level, reflecting the effectiveness of the recovery centre's support and the importance of families' involvement in maintaining their loved ones' recovery in the community.