Hotline for drug counseling launched

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.