Enforce bill on psychotropics, say councilors

Enforce bill on psychotropics, say councilors

JAKARTA (JP): Councilors urged the immediate issuance of the
necessary government regulations to enable the enforcement of the
newly passed bill on psychotropics.

The law endorsed on Jan. 27 enables the punishment of those
proved guilty of possessing, trafficking or producing Ecstasy
with a maximum penalty of death. The long-awaited bill will
become law as soon as President Soeharto signs it.

Outrage over the use of the drug became widespread following
the arrests of several people alleged to have been selling or
using Ecstasy. Jakarta and Tangerang are among the sites with the
most reported arrests.

Yesterday councilors repeated earlier views that the drugs
would eventually destroy the nation's youth, as reports revealed
users are mostly youngsters.

"Trafficking of the drug should amount to a subversive act",
said H. Ronggo Sutrisno Thahir of the United Development Party
(PPP) faction. Sahala P. Sinaga of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) faction, Abu Bakar of the ruling Golkar faction and
M. Rodja of the PPP faction, said nightspots were a haven for
drug sellers.

Sahala said distribution of the drug seemed to have been
'legalized'. The drug, he said, could be bought easily at small
kiosks at Lokasari in the Mangga Besar district.

Amir Syamsuddin, a lawyer representing Zarina, an actress on
trial for possessing, producing and distributing Ecstasy, said
the bill had a major weakness.

The bill, he said only mentioned the name of the drug,
Ecstasy, rather than the substance, MDMA, which has strong impact
on the nerve system. Ecstasy is just one derivative of MDMA.

The name, Amir added, could change, yet the substance would
remain.

But he acknowledged the bill's strength was its heavy
penalties.

As Ecstasy is not classified as a narcotic and therefore not
covered by the 1976 Narcotic Law, law enforcers have used the
weaker 1992 Health Law.

Article 81 of the Health Law on the distribution of
unregistered drugs has a maximum penalty of seven years jail and
a Rp 140 million fine.

Police apprehended two men Monday, confiscating 1,500 Ecstasy
pills. Earlier this month, police seized 85 Ecstasy pills from 23
youths arrested at Ancol Dreamland Park.

Last month Denpasar authorities waited for permission from the
Attorney General's Office in Jakarta to destroy tens of thousands
of Ecstasy pills smuggled to Bali.

The first sentencing demand made in a Jakarta court for
possession of or dealing in Ecstasy came last September. A state
prosecutor had urged a court to sentence NWH alias Awi to 18
months imprisonment for trafficking Ecstasy pills.

Discotheques on the way to the Puncak mountain resort last
August were subjected to three raids following suspected
transactions of illegal drugs there.

Hendro Sumampouw, the owner of The Hailai Discotheque in Ancol
was sentenced last October to six months probation for possessing
marijuana and Ecstasy pills.

The public order office revealed more than 60,00 Ecstasy pills
were seized at nightspots from January to July 1996.

Meanwhile Minister of Health Sujudi told the House of
Representatives the Ecstasy menace in Indonesia involved over
300,000 pills and 444 grams of powder, all seized last year. (11)