july, 2019 | The Health
Current News
Decriminalising
drug addicts and
addiction
The minister for Health, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is taking a
stance against criminalising drug addicts as it should be seen more
as a medical condition in need of treatment
M
alaysia is about
to embark on a
significant game-
changing policy,
the decrimi-
nalisation of drug
addicts and addiction.
“This is not to be mistaken for
legalising drugs. l categorically
emphasise that decriminalising does
NOT mean that we are legalising
drugs,” says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly
Ahmad.
What is decriminalisation of drug
addicts and addiction?
The policy states that the
decriminalisation of drug addicts and
addiction is the removal of criminal
penalties for possessing and using a
small quantity of drugs for personal
use. The policy does not in any way
include those who are involved in
trafficking of drugs. Trafficking of
drugs will undoubtedly remain a
crime.
Drug use and addiction is admit-
tedly a complex chronic relapsing
medical condition.
“There are many factors that
would lead someone to drug use and
addiction – there may be a genetic
predisposition, the surrounding
environment such as poverty, family
breakdown, school and peer pressure
It is not just a matter of someone
having a weak will power,” he
continues.
A critical change
Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad
takes a stand against drug addicts
being treated as criminals.
However the new policy will
maintain drug trafficking as a
serious criminal offence.
can all make someone to start using
drugs,” Dr Dzulkefly explains in his
statement.
“If someone continues to take
drugs, biological changes start hap-
pening in their brain. Therefore it is
not so easy to reverse that biological
change. Therefore putting them in
prison is not going to change that.
“Drug decriminalisation will indeed
be a critical next step towards achiev-
ing a rational drug policy that puts
science and public health before
punishment and incarceration. An
addict shall be treated as a patient
(not as a criminal), whose addiction
is a disease we will like to cure.”
Decades of evidence has clearly
demonstrated that decriminalisa-
tion is a sensible path forward that
would reap vast human and fiscal
benefits, while protecting families
and communities.
More than 30 countries have
embarked on this agenda of decrimi-
nalisation and research has shown
that decriminalisation:
• Does not increase drug use
• Does not increase drug related
crimes
• Reduces the costs in the criminal
justice system
• Improves social outcomes
“This is an important journey that
we are about to undertake and we
must tread on it with care and tact,”
Dr Dzulkefly says in finality. — The
Health
Easy life insurance by U Mobile
U
Mobile Sdn Bhd, the
d ata- centr ic and mul-
tiple award-winning telco,
announced that it would be rolling
out a fintech ecosystem in July.
The comprehensive ecosystem will
be the telco’s first foray into the
fintech world and it consists of
two distinct platforms, GoPayz and
GoBiz. GoPayz is a universal e-wallet
offering digital financial and lifestyle
services targeting consumers while
GoBiz is a digital payment acceptance
solution created to benefit all types
of businesses. U Mobile aims to make
fintech services a lot more accessible,
affordable and inclusive.
GoPayz’s distinct features are as
follows:
• Affordable Digital Financial Ser-
vices – A wide range of insurance,
online currency exchange, and
wealth products tailored based on
individual needs. For example, the
micro insurance product GoLife
Plus features premiums as low as
RM13 per month, with coverage
of up to RM 76,000.
• Widely Accepted Anywhere
– From online to retail, make
payments anywhere locally and
overseas via GoPayz’s Mastercard,
UnionPay, Visa virtual and physi-
cal cards.
• Accessible Anytime – Customers
can perform everything at their
convenience via mobile app.
• Rewarding – Earn GoPointz
loyalty points from various
transactions and receive sur-
prise rewards for qualifying
transactions.
• Secure and Safe – All transac-
tions are performed in a safe and
secured manner in accordance
to regulatory and card scheme
standards.
During the media briefing,
Jasmine Lee, CMO of U Mobile,
explained that GoPayz is a signifi-
cant milestone not just for U Mobile
but for the fintech industry. “With
GoPayz, we can now offer affordable
digital financial services to everyone.
We have GoLife Plus, the micro insur-
ance which premium is as low as
RM13 a month with coverage of up to
RM76,000. The premium is unheard
of prior to this as life insurance has
always been deemed to cater to those
05
Briefs
Update on breathing
difficulty cases among Pasir
Gudang students
Following the recent incident of
students with breathing difficulty symptoms
in Pasir Gudang, Johor on 20 June 2019,
two new cases of similar symptoms were
referred from Pasir Gudang health clinic to
Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor Bahru and
were admitted.
Both of the victims are male students
of Sekolah Agama Taman Mawar, Pasing
Gudang, which increased the total victims
from that school to be at 18 students. Both
students are being treated at the hospital
and are in stable condition. Six students
from the previous reported cases have been
discharged recently.
With the addition of the two cases, total
victims that were treated is at 31, with 21
female students and 10 male students.
Clinical samples are taken and to the
Chemical Department in Petaling Haya for
toxicology lab test. The Johor State Health
Department continues to implement on-field
monitoring.
Sun still main cause
of skin cancer
A new World Cancer Research Fund
(WCRF) report has looked at whether diet,
weight and physical activity affect the risk
of developing skin cancer. The findings
show that unlike many other cancers, your
diet and exercise patterns do not have
a substantial effect on your risk of skin
cancer.
The study looked at a number of lifestyle
factors including alcohol, obesity, and coffee
but found that the sun is still the number one
cause of skin cancer. In total, this new report
analysed 55 studies from around the world,
comprising more than 13 million adults.
Nickie Murtagh, skin cancer survivor said:
“Until recently, I usually forgot to wear sun
cream, or didn’t apply it often enough. And
I was too vain to wear hats because they
didn’t suit me and left my hair all mussed
up. But I want to tell everyone – parents
in particular – about the importance of
protecting themselves from the sun, not just
their children.
“Mums like me always look after everyone
else, but they may fail to take care of
themselves. I knew all about being safe
from the sun, but my failure to apply that
knowledge to myself has left me with a hole
in my head and scarring to my leg”.
Susannah Brown, Acting Head of
Research Interpretation said: “We see this
report as good news when it comes to diet,
exercise and cancer.
“The evidence that overexposure to the
sun causes skin cancer has been consistent
for decades. However, many people still
don’t protect themselves from the sun,
putting themselves at increased risk of skin
cancer. As the weather gets warmer, we
want our report to remind people that there
are simple but important steps they can take
to prevent developing skin cancer.”
District Race is now in
Malaysia
Jasmine Lee says that GoPayz will
change how we look at services
such as life insurance.
with higher disposable income.”
The push for digital services,
especially when it is paired with life
insurance, proves that things within
the digital health scene is going
forward in Malaysia. — The Health
District Race, the world’s greatest
urban exploration race, presented by
AIA Vitality made its Malaysian debut in
Kuala Lumpur. First launched in Singapore
in 2018, District is a ground-breaking
technology platform that encourages
people to lead active, healthy lifestyles
by providing an engaging and fun urban
exploration experience through the District
Race app. — The Health