Youth and Sports Ministry Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said rehabilitation should be used to address the issue of drug addiction, adding that compassion is needed.<br /><br />A 2018 statistic showed that 18,967 youths were drug addicts, compared to 6,300 adults, he said, which is why the Youth Ministry was roped into the task force.<br /><br />On top of that, youths who are charged with and convicted for drug-related offences are often those who come from impoverished backgrounds, he said.<br /><br />This is because those who are poor do not have the funds to hire lawyers to defend them in court, he explained.
