1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Recently, our country is facing the issue on the involvement of teenagers in drug addiction. The numbers of them are increasing day by day. This phenomenon has become worse and attracts attention by all parties.

According to the research made by Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF), the drug addiction problem has been Malaysia’s famous problem for more than two decades. With about 240,000 identified drug addicts nationwide since the 1980, drug abuse still poses a major problem, particularly those aged between 15 and 40 who make up 80 percent of the drug addicts in the country. The Government has spent hundreds of millions of ringgit to tackle the drug menace but the problem is far from being eradicated. Victory is still nowhere in sight. Statistics on drug users in the country are a matter of serious concern.

From the research on the male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca, the researchers had found that there are many reasons teenagers take drugs. It includes family crisis, peer influence, society and the teenagers itself. Family crisis can lead teenagers involved in drug because the difficult family situation and the arguments between parents make the teenagers feel stress. Impact from that, teenagers will take a shortcut by choosing drugs as the solution for them to release their stress and escape from emotional upset. Peer is the strong factors that influence teenagers to take drugs. Teenagers taking drugs in order to gain recognition from their friends overcome shyness and escape from loneliness. Less intention from society also can be one of the reasons for this matter. Society, government and non government bodies are less concern on teenager’s welfare. A lot of activities for teenagers should be held in order to make them feel that they are appreciated by the society and apart of the society. Teenagers itself can be the reason they take drugs. They take drugs because they think that drugs can satisfy their curiosity. Teenagers might start off taking a drug simply as an experiment and then find they need it to relax and feel more accepted.

Clearly, no one party alone can help to overcome the drug menace. The Government needs not only the support of non government organizations, voluntary bodies and religious organizations, but also strong family institutions in helping to curb the drug problem.

It is time for all organizations and associations as well as the entire Malaysian community to work closely and with one mind to combat the drug menace to save our younger generation from the scourge of drugs. As the key to the fight against drugs lies in prevention, a national level prevention strategy is needed to involve the home, schools, society and the workplace to help eradicate the problem.

The active role of parents and the community in the campaign to battle drug abuse is also vital and must be intensified to stop it from becoming more prevalent especially among teenagers and youths. Further investigation and research on this issue must be continued if the government want to achieve the mission to be free from drug and this effort must not just stop here because teenagers is the important generation and needed to develop the country in the future.

1.2 Problem statement

According to Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, drug addiction can be define as physical and psychological dependency on a psychoactive substance such as alcohol, narcotics, and synthetic drug that can causes harm. Physical dependency results when the body builds up a tolerance to a drug, needing increasing doses to achieve the desired effects and to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependency may have more to do with one's psychological make up some people may have a genetic tendency to addiction. There are three research problem statement that are being discussed in this research which are the level of age, types of drugs use by teenagers and the reasons of involvement of male teenagers in drug addiction.

1.2.1 The level of age

This research are done to know the level of age those teenagers involve in drug addiction. The teenagers at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca are among the ages of 11 until 21 years old. Thus, the research try to find the average age of the male teenagers involve in drug addiction.

1.2.2 Types drug use by teenagers

The researchers try to find types of drug use by male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua. For example, the types of drugs use by teenagers are heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogens, synthetic drugs and others. The researchers try to know the types of drugs use by them but they refuse to give the exact answers.

1.2.3 Sources to get drug

In order to conduct the research at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca, the researchers try to know from where they get the substance of drugs. For example they are getting the drugs from their friends, family, drug dealer, neighbouring country and other sources. In other hand the researchers also want to know where are the most places become one of their ports to get the drugs. But the respondents were not giving the researchers unclear answer about this and the researchers difficult to know what are the terms use by them when they answer this question.

1.2.4 The Reasons of Involvement Male Teenagers in Drug Addiction.

The next problem faced in conducting this research is to know the reasons that influence male teenagers involved in drug addiction. The examples of the reasons that influence the involvement of male teenagers in drug addiction are family crisis, peer influence, society and the teenagers itself. Besides that, the researchers also wants to know the most reasons that makes male teenagers involved in drug addiction.

1.3 Purpose of the study

Numerous studies reported that the increasing numbers of drug addicts among teenagers had become the most serious issue that need to be resolve. Government is committed to educate the younger generation about the danger of drug abuse, which is one of the root causes of crime. In response to this national issue, this research was set up to investigate the issue further. The purpose of the study describe in this research report is to assists the responsible institution on how to overcome this cases from the reason of male teenagers involved in drug addiction that will find by the researchers.

1.4 Objectives of the study

The objectives of this study are:

• To identify whether family crisis influence male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca.
• To recognize whether peers influence the male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca.
• To know whether society influence the male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca.
• To know whether teenager itself influence the male teenagers involved in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca.

1.5 Research questions

In order to carry out this research, the researchers will provide questionnaires which consist of twenty questions. These questions are divided into two parts. The first part consists of eleven questions. These questions asked on the demographic sections which are races, level of ages, family income, educational level, and the factors influence teenagers involve in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca. The second part consists of four scale questions. The question is to investigate the most influence factors on the involvement of male teenagers in drug addiction at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca.

1.6 Significant of the study

In this research, there are two significant that have been identified by researchers. In order to conduct the study of male teenagers involved in drug addictions at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua Malacca.

1.6.1 Family

Family will get benefits from the researcher's findings because by referring to this report, family can realized the reasons of the male teenagers involved in drugs addiction and they can use the recommendations given to overcome this issue. They also can always aware about their children especially teenagers behavior. Parents also can gain lots of knowledge on the factors that lead to this problem such as society and the social environmental reasons and the peers influence.

1.6.2 Accountable institutions

The researchers aim that the government, non government bodies and society would realize the problems of involvement of male teenagers in drugs. They can use all the information inside this report to know the real situations of this problem. As the key to fight against drugs, an efficient strategy is needed to involve the home, school, society and the workplace to help eradicate the problem.

1.7 Scope of the study

This study is focused on the dwellers at Pusat Serenti Tiang Dua, Malacca. Sixty respondents among them are chosen to answer the questions given in the questionnaires to help complete this research. The respondents who are between the ages 11 until 21 were randomly chosen by the researcher. The questionnaires were distributed to them during our meeting with them at the rehabilitation center. After completing the questionnaires, the researchers conducted a short interview session with the respondents asking their knowledge and opinions on the issue of drug addiction among them. Details information and cooperation from them are appreciated by the researcher because they help make this report possible and more accurate.