Campaign continues against Ecstasy

Campaign continues against Ecstasy

JAKARTA (JP): There is no law which explicitly bans Ecstasy, a
stimulant which is becoming more popular among young Indonesians
who want to have fun. It is excluded in a 1976 law on narcotics
and is not in the Ministry of Health's list of prescription
drugs.

That does not necessarily mean Ecstasy can be freely bought or
sold in Indonesia. Ecstasy is illegal. The police have repeatedly
raided night spots and arrested dealers. Last month, three Dutch
citizens were busted for trying to smuggle thousands of the pills
into the country.

The police charged them with selling drugs that have not been
registered with the Ministry of Health as stipulated in Article
80, sub-article IV of the 1992 Law of Health No. 23 issued in
1992. The suspects are subject to a maximum prison term of 15
years and a maximum fine of Rp 300 million (US$130,000).

Late last year, the police released those suspected of
carrying or trafficking Ecstasy, saying they could not find any
legal ground to detain them.

Attorney General Singgih had also said that Ecstasy cases
could not be brought to court under the narcotics law because the
chemical substances in Ecstasy do not appear in legislation as
narcotic elements. He said that the law needs to be amended to
enable law enforcers to prosecute traffickers and user of the
substance.

The police find Ecstasy hard to take. One reason is the
alleged involvement of children of some top government officials,
either as users and traders. Another reason is that Ecstasy is
relatively new in Indonesia. It became popular after the media
reported the death of a businessman in the house of artist Ira
Irawan in January 1994. The real cause of his death remains a
mystery, but it is speculated he died of an Ecstasy overdose.

Ecstasy can be found at certain discotheques in large
Indonesian cities. One pill costs between Rp 40,000 ($17.4) and
Rp 200,000, depending on the quality.

In Britain, Ecstasy began appearing in the early 1980s. It is
illegal but widely available and sells for about 15 pounds ($22)
a hit. The drug has killed an average of nine people a year.

In Australia, the drug was already widely available in 1988
and reportedly claimed five lives last year. Ecstasy, which sells
for about A$60 ($45) a tablet, is mainly smuggled from Amsterdam
and London.

Australian authorities are formulating a national plan to
crackdown on the increasing use of designer substances even
though the number of deaths is small compared to those from
heroin, which causes 250 deaths a year, or alcohol, which leads
to six a day in the country.

Ecstasy is not a narcotic, but a psychotropic substance.
Indonesia is preparing a psychotropic bill, which is expected to
be submitted to the House of Representatives later this year.

"We don't need to wait until the House passes the bill.
Ecstasy traffickers can be charged with the health law," Loebby
Loeqman, a professor of criminal law at University of Indonesia,
said.

He praised the police for taking Ecstasy cases to court under
the health law.

"Hopefully, the judge will share the police's legal perception
about Ecstasy," Loeqman said.

Expert witnesses will play a key role in the trial, he said.
If they can scientifically explain that Ecstasy is harmful, the
court will likely find the defendants guilty.

Users say Ecstasy make them feel good, happy, active and
energetic. In Australia, Ecstasy is known as the "hug drug" for
the feelings of affection it induces.

"Alcohol can lead to violence. People who take Ecstasy can be
amiable, generous and forgiving," said a discotheque employee,
who tried the substance once.

Experts, however, said that Ecstasy can cause severe
dehydration and excessive body temperatures.

Al Bachri Husin, director of the Fatmawati Drug Dependence
Hospital in South Jakarta, said that Ecstasy contains chemicals
with can affect the brain's neurons.

Lawyer Mohamad Assegaf said that if Ecstasy has similar
effects as narcotics, those who sell and use Ecstasy can possibly
be charged with the narcotics law.

"The philosophy behind the narcotics law is the action against
drugs which can endanger society. If experts say that Ecstasy is
dangerous, I think those who sell or use the drug can be punished
under the law," he argued.

Loeqman, however, does not agree with Assegaf, saying that the
narcotics law cannot be cited in Ecstasy cases because Ecstasy is
not a narcotic. (sim)