Selangor police reported last Friday (January 3) that 4 people, aged between 20 and 49, including 2 women, passed away after attending a New Year’s Eve concert, according to BERNAMA.
As a result, the Selangor government is planning to introduce urine tests as part of the standard procedures for concertgoers to help prevent drug use and related problems at events in the state.
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“In the end, it’s just not practical”
In response to the Selangor government’s efforts to improve concert procedures, Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia (KARYAWAN) spoke out, saying the plan is impractical.
They also pointed out that the urine testing process needs a lot of manpower and would take too long to implement before the concert starts.
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In an interview with Berita Harian, KARYAWAN President, Datuk Freddie Fernandez, mentioned that the urine test could be done more efficiently and quickly if the country had the latest technology.
“Imagine a concert with 30,000 people, where each person has to queue for a urine test. It’s going to take forever, need a huge team, and in the end, it’s just not practical,” he said.
KARYAWAN President, Datuk Freddie Fernandez
“Replay videos about the negative effects of drugs”
Freddie suggested that a simpler and quicker solution should be implemented, including strengthening the connection between concerts and anti-drug awareness campaigns.
He proposed spreading messages like “Music Without Drugs” on tickets, billboards, and big screens before the event, and repeating videos about the negative effects of drugs halfway through the concert.
“Videos showing the negative impacts of drugs can also be repeated halfway through the concert as a reminder. Therefore, the implementation of this campaign would require the involvement of agencies like the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) to manage more aggressive and effective efforts,” he said.
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“Drug abuse could still happen with urine tests”
Freddie added that based on personal observations and information received from several concertgoers, most incidents of death occur among teenagers who are not regular drug users.
He also pointed out that even with urine tests at the entrance, drug abuse could still happen during the event.
He explained that spotting drugs being brought in is tough because dealers and mules are quick, and some drugs, like small paper ‘stamps’, only need contact with sweat to kick in and create a high.
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