Students launch campaign to fight stigma against addiction survivors

 

Taking a new approach to the war on drugs, Universiti Sains Malaysia students have teamed up with the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) in a campaign to combat the stigma against addiction survivors.

The “See Wider, Think Deeper” campaign which launched on social media on Nov 12, seeks to generate empathy towards survivors of drug addiction, the organisers said.

“The war on drugs is a global battle that we are still fighting to this very day… it is a war that cannot be won by brute force but instead with acceptance and empathy,” said project director Nur Karimah Kaswan.

Through webinars, sharings by addiction survivors and question-and-answer sessions with followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the campaigners hope to break misconceptions about those battling addiction.

“Addiction survivors are still survivors; they deserve the same level of support, one that is not based on their category of illness,” said Nur Karimah.

Among those sharing their experience battling addiction is popular singer Ezad Lazim.

The campaign will also include a social experiment where two actors stage an argument between an addiction survivor and a friend at a public area, and the public’s reactions would be filmed.

In this experiment, members of the public are tested on whether they would comfort the “addiction survivor” following the argument.

“The experiment is funded by AADK,” she said.

Nur Karimah said the feedback to the campaign so far has been positive, with many social media followers showing support and encouragement to addiction survivors.

“We hope to change the (misconception) that drug users will always be drug users and generate a more positive mindset,” she said.

According to AADK, from January to June this year, some 95,505 Malaysians were recorded to be addicted to drugs and various substances.

Most are addicted to amphetamine-type stimulants, followed by opiates, cannabis, psychotropic pills and other substances like cocaine.

A total 65 percent are aged 19 to 39, with 1.3 percent - or 1,251 individuals - aged 13 to 18.  - Mkini

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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