Emerging Drug Use Trends in Kelantan, Malaysia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID13912993
AutoresAlethea Desrosiers (0000-0003-2392-0371, Yale University), Weng-Tink Chooi (0000-0002-8544-0843, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Norzarina Mohd Zaharim (0000-0001-5954-2822, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Imran Ahmad (0000-0002-9459-0130, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Mohd Azhar Mohd Yasin (0000-0002-8693-8416, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Sharifah Zubaidiah Syed Jaapar (0000-0001-6004-4054, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Richard S Schottenfeld (0000-0002-8601-0394, Yale University), Balasingam Vicknasingam (0000-0001-9770-5741, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Marek C Chawarski (0000-0001-6254-3092, Yale University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2016
Volumen48
Número3
Páginas218-226
Fecha de publicación2016-05-25
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Psychoactive Drugs (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0279-1072 • E-ISSN: 2159-9777
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02791072.2016.1185553
PMID27224011
OpenAlexW2405826571
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas34

The primarily rural and agrarian Kelantan province of Malaysia has high rates of drug use and is characterized by unique sociocultural factors. Combining qualitative and ethnographic methods, we investigated drug use and treatment needs of people who use drugs (PWUD) in rural areas of Kelantan. In February 2014, field visits, participant observation, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 27 active PWUD were conducted in rural areas surrounding the capital city of Kelantan. The findings indicate a high prevalence of opiate and amphetamine type stimulants (ATS) use in these areas. FGD participants reported initiating drug use at early ages due to peer influences, to relieve boredom, to cope with problems, and a high saturation of villages with other PWUD was reported as a major contributor to their own continued drug use. They reported a trend of drug use initiation at younger ages and increased drug use among females. Participants were interested in treatment; however, their limited knowledge about treatment options and perceived limited availability of services were barriers to treatment seeking. Easy access to drugs, primarily from Thailand and facilitated by the use of mobile phones, resulted in an expanding prevalence of drug use that underscores the need to bolster education and prevention efforts and accessibility of treatment services in Kelantan

Boredom · Drug · Environmental health · Focus group · Psychiatry · Sociology · Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes