Injecting drug users mostly educated, survey reveals<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso, Jakarta<\/p>\n
More than 70 percent of injecting drug users (IDU) are young
\nadults, aged between 15 years and 29 years old, a survey says.<\/p>\n
Conducted by the Center for Harm Reduction, the recent survey
\nalso revealed that more than 60 percent of injecting drug users
\ninterviewed had at least graduated from high school.<\/p>\n
Baby Jim Aditya of the Human Participation (Partisan) non-
\ngovernmental organization, which works to curb the spread of
\nHIV\/AIDS, said on Wednesday, the results suggested the country
\nfaced a grave threat if no radical preventive measures were taken
\nto combat the spread of HIV among injecting drug users.<\/p>\n
\"Providing information on the danger of HIV\/AIDS alone is not
\nenough. We need to do more,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health estimates the number of injecting drug
\nusers at between 124,000 to 169,000, with more than a third of
\nthem HIV positive. However, the number of injecting drug users is
\nincreasing rapidly.<\/p>\n
The number of reported HIV infections in the country since
\n1987 stands at 4,389, 1,525 have presented symptoms of an AIDS-
\ndefining illness, such as opportunistic infection. Of that
\nnumber, 519 people have reportedly died of AIDS-related
\nillnesses.<\/p>\n
While the ministry acknowledges that many more people are
\nlikely living with HIV\/AIDS in the country, its official estimate
\nstands at between 80,000 and 130,000.<\/p>\n
Baby Jim suggested that the government include information on
\nHIV\/AIDS in the national education curriculum, saying it would be
\nmore effective than sporadic campaigns.<\/p>\n
\"When you share information for just one or two hours, the
\nstudents will not remember it for long. But, if the information
\nis constantly provided, students will be reminded over and over
\nagain of the dangers of drug use,<\/p>\n
\"It tells us that we need to provide youths with life skills,
\nto enable them to say no to drugs, otherwise it's all just
\ntheoretical,\" Baby Jim said.<\/p>\n
She called on society as a whole to take part in the move
\nagainst drugs.<\/p>\n
\"The police need to cut the supply, parents and teachers need
\nto provide information on the risks, and the government and non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs) need to harmoniously work on
\nthe harm reduction program,\" said Baby Jim.<\/p>\n
The government launched last week a pilot harm reduction that
\nwill provide sterile disposable needles to injecting drug users,
\nas well as methadone and buprenorphine for heroin users.<\/p>\n
The pilot project, which will run for three years, will
\ninvolve the police, local health offices, research centers and
\nselected NGOs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/injecting-drug-users-mostly-educated-survey-reveals-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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