Primary school pupils sold unidentified pills<\/p>\n
By Ida Indawati Khow<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Drug dealers have at least one thing in common:
\na desire to see people addicted to the drugs they sell.<\/p>\n
This conclusion was reached by teachers of SDN 01 Pagi Kota
\nBambu elementary school in a slum area in the Kota Bambu
\nsubdistrict of West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Teachers, parents and city officials, including Governor
\nSutiyoso, were surprised to find last June that scores of school
\nstudents -- aged between 10 and 12 years-old -- had been using
\nillegal, mind-altering substances.<\/p>\n
According to school teachers, Sri Yuliah and Farida, the
\nproblem began when a female dealer, later identified as Sutinah,
\ncame to the school during the admission period and introduced
\nherself to several of the children.<\/p>\n
\"At that particular time, there were so many parents at the
\nschool to enroll their children that we, the teachers, could not
\nidentify every body entering the school complex.<\/p>\n
\"The woman made use of the opportunity by offering drugs to
\nstudents saying that they were smart pills,\" Yuliah said.<\/p>\n
The drugs were sold in capsules, which were coated with luring
\ncolors of light blue and golden yellow. Each capsule was sold at
\nRp 100 (about 0.01 U.S. cent) each.<\/p>\n
Farida said the students, who then took the drugs, didn't
\nreport this to the teachers until some of the students started
\ncomplaining of headaches.<\/p>\n
She said the teachers managed to confiscate two capsules from
\nthe students, who found it difficult to swallow, and send them to
\na nearby public health center.<\/p>\n
\"The authorities declared that the pills were illegal drugs,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
One of the victims, Fitroh Panca Himawan, said he and his
\nfriends, had agreed to keep the drug-use a secret as they had
\nbeen told not to reveal the woman's activities at school.<\/p>\n
\"The woman threatened to beat us if we told our teachers about
\nher or the capsules,\" said the 10 year-old boy.<\/p>\n
Fitroh said he was attracted to the drug after the woman
\nconvinced him that it was \"smart medicine\" and its price was only
\nRp 100 each.<\/p>\n
\"She told me that if I consumed the capsules, I would become
\nsmarter and it was not necessary for me to prepare myself for
\nexams,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Fitroh, the only son of textile company employee Rubian and
\nhousewife Sutiani, said he and scores of his friends felt dizzy
\nminutes after swallowing the capsules.<\/p>\n
\"Similar feelings continued even after my return from
\ntreatment at a clinic. I also felt sleepy all day,\" said the thin
\nboy.<\/p>\n
Teachers at the state-owned elementary school wondered why
\ndrug dealers had targeted students of poor families.<\/p>\n
\"Probably because the school is located close to Tanah Abang's
\nBongkaran area, a home for prostitutes and criminals. It would be
\neasy for dealers to operate in our school,\" Yuliah said.<\/p>\n
The teachers, however, did not know the kinds of drugs that
\nthe students had consumed.<\/p>\n
They said they could only identify five students consuming the
\ndrugs, while head of the city's education and teaching agency,
\nMasrul Nim, said at least 20 pupils at the school had consumed
\nbarbiturate pills.<\/p>\n
Yuliah said the female drug dealer was now jailed at Pondok
\nBambu penitentiary in East Jakarta, after she was attacked by
\nscores of students' parents.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/primary-school-pupils-sold-unidentified-pills-1447893297",
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