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)