Drug addiction--current trends.

Drug addiction is spreading alarmingly and rapidly, particularly among our youth today. The global situation of drug abuse is far from encouraging, with heroin being the main drug of abuse in Southeast Asia and Europe. The problem is becoming increasingly serious in Malaysia because of the country's proximity to drug producing areas, called the "Golden Triangle" which comprises the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos. Its geographical location, infrastructure and a modern means of communication have enabled traffickers to distribute illicit drugs over an ever widening area. This region is one of the biggest producers of illicit opiates producing an amount estimated to be 600-700 tonnes of opium annually. A wide part of this region is beyond effective government control. A large quantity of heroin also finds its way into Malaysia for trans-shipment and distribution. As a consequence, drug trafficking poses a threat to the stability of many neighbouring countries and affects interstate relations.