BNN's Strategy to Prevent Rising Drug Use Among Youth
The National Narcotics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BNN) continues to strengthen its strategy for preventing narcotics abuse among young people.
The move comes as the number of drug users in the adolescent group rises, a trend considered a serious threat to efforts to achieve Golden Indonesia 2045.
BNN chief Commissioner General Suyudi Ario Seto said Indonesia is currently at a crucial phase in preparing the successor generation who will enjoy the demographic dividend. Therefore, the quality of human resources must be safeguarded so that they remain healthy, productive, of good character, and highly competitive.
According to Commissioner General Suyudi, the government has introduced various programmes to improve the quality of Indonesia’s people, from the free nutritious meals programme and people’s schools to excellent schools and vocational training. However, these efforts will struggle to achieve optimal results unless the threat of narcotics is addressed seriously.
“Narcotics don’t just rob a person of their health. Narcotics rob families of their future, damage the quality of a generation, and ultimately destroy the nation’s future,” Suyudi told detikcom recently.
Drug users dominated by the young age group
BNN records that the national prevalence of narcotics abuse currently stands at 2.11%, or around 4.15 million people. The largest increase comes from the 15-24 age group, which is the productive generation and the future driving force of national development.
The situation shows that adolescents are the group most vulnerable to drug abuse. Beyond environmental factors, the pattern of narcotics distribution continues to evolve and adapt to the lifestyle of the younger generation.
In facing this challenge, BNN has changed its prevention approach by introducing the Ananda Bersinar movement (National Anti-Narcotics Action Starting from Children Free of Narcotics). According to Commissioner General Suyudi, the Ananda Bersinar movement represents a transformation of the prevention strategy that places children at its core.
The programme not only provides education about the dangers of drugs but also builds character, strengthens resilience, improves life skills, and reinforces the role of family, school, and the social environment.
BNN believes prevention must be carried out early, because a child who is physically healthy and well educated still risks losing their future if they lack the ability to refuse narcotics abuse.
“We designed the Ananda Bersinar movement to run in parallel with the great human resource development agenda led by the President. Because a child who is physically healthy, well nourished and well educated, but has no resistance to narcotics, remains at risk of losing their future,” said Commissioner General Suyudi.
To strengthen the prevention ecosystem, BNN is also collaborating with ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The collaboration promotes the integration of the anti-narcotics curriculum into the learning process through existing subjects. The programme is expected to serve as an educational vehicle for the younger generation to understand the dangers of narcotics abuse.
“We have also initiated strengthening the movement through Saka Narkotika, or the Anti-Narcotics Scout Unit,” said Commissioner General Suyudi.
BNN introduces telerehabilitation services
Beyond strengthening prevention, BNN continues to develop rehabilitation services that are more accessible to the public. Yosi Eka Putri, a representative of BNN’s Rehabilitation Deputy, explained that one of the latest innovations is a telerehabilitation service — a digital-based rehabilitation service that allows drug users to undergo consultations online.
The service is intended for users with mild to moderate levels of use who can still undergo outpatient rehabilitation.
According to Yosi, the telerehabilitation concept offers flexibility of time so that users can carry on with their daily activities without having to visit a rehabilitation facility in person. In addition, digital services help reduce the stigma still felt by some members of the public when seeking help.
“Generation Z and other young age groups are more comfortable with digital-based services. That is why telerehabilitation is one way of bringing rehabilitation access closer to those who need it,” Yosi explained.
Meanwhile, for users with more severe levels of dependency, BNN will direct them to undergo inpatient rehabilitation at available facilities.
Furthermore, BNN is strengthening the role of schools as part of both the prevention and rehabilitation systems. Yosi explained that one step taken is building teachers’ capacity to carry out screening or early detection of students who begin showing indications of drug abuse.
Through detection at the experimental stage, it is hoped that abuse will not develop into dependency. In addition, various school programmes are being developed using a peer support approach.
This approach is considered effective because adolescents are heavily influenced by their social environment and therefore need peers capable of providing positive support.
“So schools are not only a place for prevention, but can also become part of rehabilitation efforts. There are several schools we have supported so they are able to provide accompaniment and rehabilitation together,” said Yosi.
Community-based programmes continue to expand
BNN is also developing community-based rehabilitation programmes so that the recovery process does not depend solely on health facilities.
One of these is Community-Based Intervention (IBM), which upholds the principle of from the community, by the community, and for the community. Through this programme, communities are directly involved in providing education and accompaniment, and assisting the recovery process of drug users in their neighbourhoods.
IBM has now been implemented in 1,437 areas across Indonesia. Even so, this figure is still far from the number of villages in Indonesia, which exceeds 50,000, so its development will continue.
Besides IBM, BNN also runs community-based rehabilitation programmes in around 10 provinces, which have even received an award as a national innovation from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform.
Drug abuse linked to mental health
BNN considers its biggest current challenge to be the increasingly young age of drug users. Beyond raising the risk of dependency, substance use at a young age can also contribute to the emergence of various mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions.
Not only narcotics, but smoking habits from an early age, including the use of electronic cigarettes (vapes), are also a concern because they can potentially become a gateway to other risky behaviours.
Therefore, BNN continues to expand public education so that parents, schools, and surrounding environments can accompany children through their growth and development more safely, healthily, and free from drug abuse.
“The hope is that, through a combination of prevention, community empowerment, and easier access to rehabilitation, drug control efforts can be carried out more systematically,” Yosi concluded.