Heroin the trend among Indonesian addicts

JAKARTA (JP): Heroin appears to have been the drug of choice for Indonesian youths over the past three years, an expert said on Saturday.

"Although there is not yet any official data on drug use in Indonesia, most of the patients treated at our drug rehabilitation center have a heroin problem," said Sudirman M.A., the director of the Drug Rehabilitation Center at Fatmawati Hospital.

"There were 1,799 cases of heroin users in 1996. In 1999, the figure increased to 8,823," he said during a break in a seminar on diagnosing and treating opiate dependency.

From 1995 to 1996, ecstasy was the most common drug for addicts, he said.

Heroin is categorized as an opiate, similar to morphine.

Heroin, which is known here as putauw, is a semisynthetic compound that is three to five times stronger than morphine.

A person who uses heroin can become an addict in a very short period of time. According to some health officials, after using heroin for three to four days a person will be in a condition of dependency.

Official data from the Ministry of National Education shows at least 1,875 students from 318 junior high schools and high schools in the capital are known to have used drugs this year.

There are now numerous rehabilitation centers in Indonesia, most located in the capital. But the number of addicts in the centers remains relatively small.

Only 575 of the 1,875 students in the capital known to have taken drugs have gone to a rehabilitation center, according to the data.

The ministry hypothesized that this was a result of the high cost of treatment.

Sudirman said the average cost for a stay in a rehabilitation center was Rp 3 million (US$320).

Each rehabilitation center has its own program to help addicts, he said.

"Some of them offer medical treatment, while others prefer to use a religious approach. The addicts can choose the most suitable method for them," he said.

However, he suggested that those considering rehabilitation consider three things: the professionalism of the staff, the equipment available for treatment and the type of the program itself.

Before joining a rehabilitation program, addicts should first go through detoxification to free themselves of their dependence.

The most common method of detoxification in Indonesia includes the naltrexon, which is designed to block the opiate receptor in the brain.

"The naltrexon should be used regularly for a long period, probably for about two years," Nurmiati Amir of the Department of Psychiatry Department at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital said during the seminar.

After being detoxed, addicts can then being their rehabilitation program, she said. (04)