GEORGE TOWN: Parents of young drug addicts must play a pro-active role to help the authorities in curbing the social menace, says the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF).

Its senior vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said MCPF supported the proposal by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) for the introduction of a new law to compel parents of young drug addicts to attend counselling sessions.

“There is a need for such a law and we urge the government to look into it seriously.

“Parents cannot use excuses such as busy with work, as spending quality time with their children is vital,” he told reporters after launching the state MCPF substance abuse awareness programme for secondary school students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) yesterday.

On Wednesday, AADK director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah proposed the new law.

Also present during the event were Penang MCPF chairman Datuk Seri Syed Jaafar Syed Ali, Penang Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department head SAC Datuk Mohamad Anil Shah and USM criminologist Assoc Prof Dr P. Sundramoorthy.

More than 200 students attended the programme.

This article first appeared on The Star.