Reaching drug abusers

I suspect that few of us would deny the sincerity of the prominent lawyer who is frequently reported calling for tougher action against drug abusers. And many will also sympathize with his response to such abuse in his own family, in sending his son for treatment in Malaysia.

However, some might join me in questioning the justice of calling for such strong action against those who are unable to take advantage of such expensive solutions. We are frequently reminded that there are hundreds of thousands of misusers of drugs in Jakarta alone.

However, treatment facilities at most offer places for 1,000 of those. The cost of most of these are well beyond the pocket of most families wishing to provide the degree of support given by our lawyer -- and clearly the overseas option is out of the question for most.

Would it not be more appropriate to advocate for the establishment of many more treatment facilities, much more training of counselors, an explosion of support for those already hooked by this frightful addiction, rather than just call for more harassment of such people?

Such action will only drive them out of the community, underground, where outreach to them will be even more difficult and activities to reduce the harmful effects of their drug use (such as infection by HIV) become almost impossible.

I think many would feel that this would be a more humane response from one who has personally experienced the effects of this terrible epidemic within his own family...

CHRIS W. GREEN

Jakarta