Indonesia Remains a Large Drug Market: Anti Drug Agency Chief

BNN Chief Budi Waseso delivers his remarks (Photo by: Rahmi/Public Relations Division)

Chief of the National Anti-Drug Agency (BNN) Budi Waseso said Indonesia remains a large drug market.

According to him, while types of drug circulating in Indonesia are now more varied, not many Indonesians are aware of those new types of drugs. “This poses a threat for the nation in the future because what (drug abuse) ruins is clear: this country’s generation, this country’s strength,” said Budi in a thematic forum organized by the BNN’s Public Relations Coordinating Board (Bakohumas) held in East Jakarta on Tuesday (11/7).

Budi added that as a state institution specially tasked to tackle matters related to drug abuse, the Agency has made many efforts to prevent and eradicate drug abuse.

Budi also noted that there are two most important things in eradicating drug abuse, namely demand and supply. “Demand is the market and this is related to supply. Come what may, the market still exists; so the supply will still be big,” Budi said.

In the meantime, Director General for Information and Public Communication of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Niken Widiastuti expressed the readiness of the Bakohumas to support the Prevention, Eradication, Misuse and Illegal Distribution of Drugs (P4GN) campaign. “(Handling) drug emergency is not only the responsibility of BNN. Other elements have to take part in the P4GN, including the Bakohumas at all ministries, institutions, and regional governments,” Niken said.

Niken added that Bakohumas could lend its support for the campaign about the danger of drug abuse as well as for educating the people about new types of drugs.

She also said that eradicating drug abuse must be done seriously so that Indonesia will not experience lost generation. “This is a proxy war, an asymmetry war whose players indirectly fight against and destroy our country,” Niken added.

Furthermore, quoting data from Health Research Center of the University of Indonesia, Niken reported that the number of drug users in 2015 reached 5.9 million people and it rose into 6.4 million people in 2016.  The data also revealed that out of 6.4 million drug users, 22 percent of them are teenagers and in one day, 30-40 people die because of drug abuse.

The forum was also attended by echelon I, II, and III officials of Bakohumas, as well as high-ranking public relations officials from ministries and institutions. (RMI/MA/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)