Govt striving to reduce number of drug addicts
Govt striving to reduce number of drug addicts
JAKARTA (JP): The government is determined to further decrease the number of drug addicts and psychotropic substance abusers, says chairman of Bakolak Inpres 6/1971, a government coordinating board in charge of eliminating drugs trafficking, addicts and abusers.
Even though the recorded number of drug addicts and psychotropic substance abusers is still much lower than those in other countries, "it doesn't mean that we can relax our fight against the social disease," Bakolak Inpres 6/1971 chairman Soedibyo told reporters after closing a week-long course on drug preventive here on Saturday.
Organized by Coordinating Body for Social Affairs Promoting Noble Citizens (Bersama) -- a Bakolak Inpres 6/1971-sponsored non- government organization -- and under the sponsorship of Switzerland-based International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA), the course was attended by about 40 senior print and broadcast reporters from ASEAN countries.
Members of the Bakolak Inpres 6/1971, supervised by the Indonesia's Central Body of Intelligence Agency (BIA), also headed by Soedibyo, include several senior officers.
The board is assigned to implement the Presidential Instruction No. 6 of 1971, regarding the coordination in the elimination of illicit traffic and abuses of drugs and psychotropic substances.
According to figures from the Bakolak Inpres 6/1971, the number of drug addicts in this country in early 1990s was roughly estimated at 0.062 percent of Indonesia's 190 million population.
But no more recent figures were available.
In his speech at the closing ceremony of the course, Soedibyo, a retired military lieutenant general, said: "We, Indonesians, are fortunate since we have been successful in curbing the increase of drug abuse."
"Until today Indonesia has been used mainly as a transit area for drugs," he said without further explanation.
Nonetheless, he added, "We all realize that the illicit traffic and abuse of drugs and psychotropic substances remain on a rising trend everywhere."
Therefore, Bakolak needs to strengthen cooperation with other related institutions, including the media, to carry out its tasks, Soedibyo said.
Moreover, drugs and psychotropic substances are closely related to various crimes that disturb the people's life in general and the security of any country, he added.
One of the main problems in eliminating the number of the users of drugs and psychotropic substances in this country is the lack of strict punishment.
Moreover, the legal proceedings against accused abusers or trafficker are arduous and quite complicated.
According to Soedibyo, Indonesia's drive against drug abuse is based on the Narcotic Law No. 9 issued in 1971 that is presently being amended to the 1988 UN Convention against illicit traffic in drugs and psychotropic substances.
Speakers in the meeting, which was opened by Minister of Information Harmoko, included David Turner from the ICAA, William F. Beachner from the Thailand-based United Nations Drugs Control Program (UNDCP) and high-ranking officers from Bakolak Inpres 6/1971 and Indonesian National Police Headquarters.
The course, held at the BKKBN guest house at Halim Perdanakusumah in East Jakarta, was designed to promote the same perception among ASEAN journalists about reporting on drugs and their related issues.
According to the speakers, news reports on drugs and their related issues could bring positive as well as negative impacts.
An investigative reporting on the arrest of a drug carrier, for instance, may lead the anti-drug officials to a dead-end due to the sudden disappearance of the other members of the syndicate.
"It needs a huge amount of money and energy to arrest a drug ring," said the executive chairman of the Bakolak Inpres 6/1971, Tony Sidharta, a retired police brigadier general.
The publication of the prices and market condition of drugs and psychotropic substances may stimulate other people to try make money from the dangerous items, said Tony.
"That's why we strongly need good cooperation on the part of the media," he said. (bsr)