Drugs abuse victims share insight of causes of drug abuse

WONOSOBO, Central Java (JP): Observers and experts have cited many causes for youngsters becoming drug addicts: busy parents, broken homes, the need to fit in and so on.

In a hilly Wonosobo village, two addicts seeking treatment shared their insight.

Budi, 21, dismissed what he called "myths" on addicts. From his experience, he said, addicts were not mostly from rich, broken homes or those with busy parents -- but from every sort of family.

"I have had no shortage of parental attention. It's just the company I've kept," said Budi, who kept a four-year secret from his family that he was an addict.

"Be careful, you have two daughters," he told a woman with young children, who tried to hide her shock. It was a dismissal of another myth: that decent girls from decent families don't do drugs. But Budi and another addict seeking treatment here, Roy, have seen many female first-year student addicts on campus. They said the students were continuing their habits from high school, or even earlier, just like themselves.

The lean young men insisted that drug abuse is largely "a peer thing", and that parents were not to be blamed. But, as expected, Budi's mother cried on the phone "What did I do wrong?" She was a housewife, she could not understand how she did not see what her son was going through.

Experts have advised parents of telling drug abuse signs, like stealing, weight loss and being rebellious; but Budi, who claimed he never even needed to steal, had always been the sweet youngest child, he just told them he was on a diet.

Roy, a Catholic, said being disappointed in society may have added an edge to the curiosity of "trying something cool".

"I was active in church but there were things going on which shouldn't happen in a religious environment -- corruption, badmouthing people ..." There was much more of this outside the church -- "no love like what the religion teachers taught".

If there is something at fault in the family, he suggested, it was this lack of showing love. "If parents quarrel in front of the children, they must also show the children when it is settled."

Separately, Budi said, once a parent finds out, thrashing about in anger will not help. He has seen friends rejected by their families, which may be understandable if, like him, he said, an addict kept the family unaware for years.

In a recent seminar, a parent shared her important experience: do not waste time blaming each other, concentrate on giving "tough love" to the child, meaning one should not show love by giving in to the child's need for drugs.

Budi was clearly lucky, apart from being alive after years of addiction. During the interview, Budi's father and brother arrived at the home of the healer where Budi and Roy were staying. Budi had waited sleeplessly, imagining how his family would react to his confession, admitted to them in a letter sent home.

A moment later wailing was heard; a strongly built elderly man was hugging Budi, bringing him up from his knees. In the guest bedroom, a Bible and a large family picture which his mother had packed for him were on the table.

Budi's brother confided that they had managed to check themselves short of "breaking up the family" when Budi's letter led them to blame themselves and each other. The brother added, "But he came here of his own free will, and now we are all supporting him."

Such support will be needed for a long time; experts have said that overcoming drug dependency can take several years.

And it seems the war on drugs has only begun on the regional scale: on July 25, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pledged the region would be free of drug abuse by 2020. For now, drugs are easy to get: "For every suspected supplier caught, 10 are released," said Budi, quoting the talk on Jakarta streets.

New addicts, and "seniors" adding their daily dose, are providing quite a good business. Sources have said that a "boss" who only supplies, and does not use drugs himself, can make Rp 5 million a week. (anr)