Campaign against syringe sharing<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Activists and doctors urged authorities to
\nintensify campaigns to raise public awareness about the dangers
\nof sharing hypodermic syringes.<\/p>\n
The remarks were made in a seminar that revealed that
\nsignificant numbers of drug users carrying the Human
\nImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which could lead to the deadly
\nAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), shared syringes.<\/p>\n
The seminar on HIV\/AIDS prevention among drug users was
\njointly organized by the University of Indonesia's special group
\non AIDS education, Pelita Ilmu Foundation and Cipto Mangunkusumo
\nGeneral Hospital (RSCM).<\/p>\n
RSCM hematologist Zoebairi Djoerban explained that at 22
\ndegrees Celsius the HIV virus could thrive in the syringe for 42
\ndays in at least 20 microliters of blood, while at 37 degrees
\nCelsius, the virus could survive for a week.<\/p>\n
While stating that the decision to provide clean syringes to
\ndrug users was a controversial one, he pointed out that, in other
\ncountries, the practice had successfully reduced the spread of
\nthe HIV virus and other fatal diseases like hepatitis B and C.<\/p>\n
Used syringes, he added, could be reused if they were properly
\nsterilized.<\/p>\n
\"It can be done by soaking the used syringe in natrium
\nhypochlorite (bleach solution) or by boiling them for 20
\nminutes,\" he said. However, he was quick to add that boiling was
\nimpractical, especially for addicts.<\/p>\n
The Indonesia AIDS Society (MPAI) data for May 2001 recorded
\nthat there were 1,954 new people with HIV\/AIDS in 13 major cities
\nacross the country, 412 of them drug users who acquired the virus
\nthrough sharing syringes.<\/p>\n
The figure is far below the estimated national data, which
\nrecords some 1.3 million people in the country with HIV\/AIDS.<\/p>\n
\"Our estimate is that 50 percent of the figure (in the
\nnational data) were drug users, and 50 percent of those drug
\nusers were infected through sharing syringes,\" said MPAI's first
\nchairman Suriadi Gunawan in his opening speech.<\/p>\n
In last year's survey by Pelita Ilmu Foundation in Blok M, a
\npopular hang-out place in South Jakarta, 30 percent of young drug
\nusers preferred syringes when using drugs. Of the 30 percent,
\nonly 7 percent of them used new ones.<\/p>\n
The survey also disclosed that the eight most popular
\nrecreational drugs were, among other things, marijuana, Nipam
\n(flunitrazepan), ecstasy, cocaine and shabu-shabu (crystal
\nmethamphetamine). (lup)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/campaign-against-syringe-sharing-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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