Hotline for drug counseling launched

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

"Are you on drugs again?" the question from Erick's parents came crashing down; their words loaded with worry and suspicion.

The 24-year-old former drug addict groaned and tried to explain that he just needed to talk to get rid of the craving for drugs he was feeling.

"Sometimes, I can't talk to my parents or close friends when I am craving," Erick told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. "They may be in a bad mood or I may not feel like confiding in them."

For him, the presence of a hotline gives tremendous help. "Talking over the phone is more comfortable than having face-to- face counseling."

A toll-free hotline for counseling drug users or those who are concerned about members of their family or friends who may be on drugs was officially launched on Saturday by Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB), a non-governmental organization, and state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom.

The 24-hour hotline, 0-800-1-NO DRUG (0-800-1-663784), which has been active since September, is also accessible from Simpati prepaid card and Kartu Halo post-paid card of cellular phone operator Telkomsel. So far, it has received at least 1,039 calls from all over Indonesia.

"About 60 percent of the callers are drug users. The rest are family and friends," said YCAB's counseling manager, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Two or three operators, who are trained counselors, are ready to take the calls at any time, he added.

YCAB has operated a hotline since 2000, but it was not free. Some 3,525 callers contacted the number in 2003, but high phone bills have proven to be an obstacle for them.

Erick uses the service at least once a week although he has been clean for the last two years. "The craving is still there."

He said the hotline could complement the services from addiction treatment centers to prevent relapses. "I've been to five rehabilitation centers, but they were not able to help me after I was discharged," said Erick.

Data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) shows that an estimated 3.9 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are either using illegal drugs and/or trafficking them. This means families of at least 8.58 million addicts go through a daily struggle to make it through the day.