Young meet to seek solution to drug<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Sanur, Bali<\/p>\n
Some 200 drug-free young people from at least 23 countries in the
\nAsia Pacific region are gathering for the first-ever Asian youth
\ncongress on drug abuse prevention in Sanur, Bali, to seek
\nsolutions to rampant drug abuse among their peers.<\/p>\n
Veronica Colondam, chief executive officer of Yayasan Cinta
\nAnak Bangsa (YCAB), Indonesia's leading non-governmental
\norganization working in drug abuse prevention, said on Monday
\nthat young people should initiate effective prevention programs
\nfor drug abusers.<\/p>\n
\"There are three reasons why an effective prevention program
\nshould be initiated by the young: they know why their peers are
\nattracted to drugs; they are in touch with the latest trends in
\nthe youth world; they know how to transmit the message
\neffectively to their peers,\" Colondam said.<\/p>\n
The four-day congress was officially opened by chairman of the
\nNational Narcotics Board (BNN) of Indonesia, General Da'i
\nBachtiar.<\/p>\n
Also present at the congress opening ceremony were patron of
\nYCAB A.M. Hendropriyono, director of the Colombo Plan Drug
\nAdvisory Program Tay Bian How, deputy director for demand
\nreduction at the National Drug Control Policy Executive Office of
\nthe president of the USA Dr. Andrea Barthwell, BNN executive
\ndirector Nurfaizi and Miss Indonesia 2002 Melania Putria Dewita
\nSari.<\/p>\n
The congress is jointly organized by the Drug Advisory
\nProgramme of the Colombo Plan, the U.S. Department of State Bureau
\nfor International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, BNN and
\nYCAB.<\/p>\n
Colondam said that the congress was expected to pave the way
\nfor the establishment of drug abuse primary prevention programs,
\nwhich were both specifically devised by and targeted the youth
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
The congress would also serve as a medium through which young
\npeople from the Asia Pacific's diverse political, economic and
\ncultural backgrounds would have a chance to communicate the
\nspecific needs and conditions in their own respective countries.
\nThey would also develop stronger networks and cooperation with
\ntheir colleagues from various countries.<\/p>\n
\"By the end of the congress there will be a resolution and a
\nyouth pledge, drafted by the participants, on drug abuse
\nprevention,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Referring to the main theme of the congress, Facing the
\nChallenge, Colondam stated that drug abuse primary prevention
\nefforts in Indonesia currently had three major challenges.<\/p>\n
\"Our recent survey has shown that eight percent of young
\npeople surveyed admitted to have experimented with drugs at least
\nonce, whereas one out of four continued using them. Therefore,
\nour major challenges are to prevent the remaining 92 percent of
\nyoung people from being introduced to drugs, suppressing the
\ndemand from that eight percent, and, eventually, to turn the tide
\nof drugs becoming an accepted part of modern lifestyles,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
During the period August 2000 to March 2002 a rapid assessment
\nsurvey was conducted by YCAB in 10 major Indonesian cities, which
\ninvolved some 3,700 respondents aged 12 to 19. The researchers
\ndiscovered that curiosity (48 percent) and peer influence (32
\npercent) were the two main reasons why respondents used drugs in
\nthe first place. Only 18 percent of them listed family problems
\nor stress as the reason for their initial involvement with drugs.<\/p>\n
The results of the survey were quite disturbing, particularly
\nwhen viewed from a wider perspective. With the total of junior
\nand high school students at around 15 million, eight percent
\ncould mean around 1.2 million of them had tried drugs at least
\nonce.<\/p>",
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