;JP;BBY; ANPAj..r.. Greater-antidrug-campaign Anti-drug campaign leads to new law JP/8/ Antidrug campaign leads to new law

JAKARTA: The Jakarta Library and Yayasan Cahaya Hati Bangsa will hold a panel discussion on Dec. 8, and their conclusions will be submitted to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a revision draft of the existing antidrug laws, both issued in 1997.

Many people say that the laws on psychotropic substances and drug abuse fail to address how to rehabilitate the users and merely call for incarceration of such people, which often worsens their condition.

The discussion will be held at the Jakarta Library's Nyi Ageng Serang building on Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. 22 C in Kuningan.

The panelists will include the National Narcotics Body chief Makbul Padmanegara, lawyer-cum-activist Henry Yosodiningrat, artist Titi Qadarsih and her musician son Indra, who beat drug addiction, and psychologist Kasandra Vati.

Representatives from several media groups have been appointed to wrap up the discussion. -- JP