Youth learn to live drug-free

MUKAH: Thirty students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mukah recently participated in the Youth Health Without AIDS Programme (PROSTAR) 2.0.

According to Dr. Haseanti Hussein, a Public Health Specialist from the Sarawak Health Department, the programme aims to cultivate a healthy, positive, and forward-thinking youth generation.

“We are aware that drug and substance abuse issues have long plagued the community, often affecting youth and teenagers,” Dr. Haseanti said during the programme’s closing ceremony.

“Their involvement in these issues contributes to the rise of social problems such as promiscuity and deviant sexual cultures. To address these unhealthy trends, the PROSTAR Malaysia initiative was relaunched as PROSTAR 2.0 in 2022.”

Dr. Haseanti commended the state government for its proactive approach to drug and substance issues through the One-Stop Committee (OSC) for Addressing Drug and Substance Issues (MIDS).

She noted that PROSTAR 2.0 could be a valuable strategy to help achieve the OSC MIDS aspirations by empowering youth to inspire others.

“PROSTAR 2.0 instills self-discipline, encourages strong religious beliefs, and fosters the courage to say ‘no’ to harmful elements such as smoking, vaping, substance use, drug abuse, alcohol consumption, promiscuity, and deviant cultures,” she added.

She hoped that the PROSTAR 2.0 initiative would be adopted by other schools and higher education institutions across Sarawak.