High school takes up antidrug drive

JAKARTA (JP): Students at the all-boy SMA Pangudi Luhur High School in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, have launched an antidrug campaign with the support of the National Drug Abuse Prevention Center (NDPC) and ASEAN Secretariat.

In a media conference at Kemang hotel on Monday, the students talked about their programs, which are divided into pre-campaign, main campaign and post-campaign stages.

The first stage began last week earlier with the public distribution of antidrug pamphlets and the conducting of free urine tests for drugs for the entire enrollment of 412 students.

Results of the tests, funded by parents of the students and examined at St. Carolus Hospital's laboratory, showed that none of the students used drugs on the day of the test.

"The students were not informed about when the test would be carried out. The test was also done in the classrooms so students couldn't manipulate their urine sample by mixing it with water, for example," said the school's principal, Father Frans D. Atmadja.

Frans promised to conduct a similar test again to verify the results.

For the main campaign on April 9, the students will march from their school on Jl. Brawijaya to Senayan stadium to distribute antidrug pamphlets.

At the same time, they plan to hold a forum with celebrities and experts from NDPC and ASEAN, as well as music entertainment at their campus.

The post-campaign period includes the proposed founding of an antidrug crisis center and drug abuse prevention center laboratory. (09)