Pubdate: Tue, 27 Aug 2002
Source: Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
Copyright: The Jakarta Post
Contact:  http://www.thejakartapost.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/645
Author: I Wayan Juniartha

YOUNG MEET TO SEEK SOLUTION TO DRUG

Some 200 drug-free young people from at least 23 countries in the Asia 
Pacific region are gathering for the first-ever Asian youth congress on 
drug abuse prevention in Sanur, Bali, to seek solutions to rampant drug 
abuse among their peers.

Veronica Colondam, chief executive officer of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa 
(YCAB), Indonesia's leading non-governmental organization working in drug 
abuse prevention, said on Monday that young people should initiate 
effective prevention programs for drug abusers.

"There are three reasons why an effective prevention program should be 
initiated by the young: they know why their peers are attracted to drugs; 
they are in touch with the latest trends in the youth world; they know how 
to transmit the message effectively to their peers," Colondam said.

The four-day congress was officially opened by chairman of the National 
Narcotics Board (BNN) of Indonesia, General Da'i Bachtiar.

Also present at the congress opening ceremony were patron of YCAB A.M. 
Hendropriyono, director of the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program Tay Bian 
How, deputy director for demand reduction at the National Drug Control 
Policy Executive Office of the president of the USA Dr. Andrea Barthwell, 
BNN executive director Nurfaizi and Miss Indonesia 2002 Melania Putria 
Dewita Sari.

The congress is jointly organized by the Drug Advisory Programme of the 
Colombo Plan, the U.S. Department of State Bureau for International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, BNN and YCAB.

Colondam said that the congress was expected to pave the way for the 
establishment of drug abuse primary prevention programs, which were both 
specifically devised by and targeted the youth population.

The congress would also serve as a medium through which young people from 
the Asia Pacific's diverse political, economic and cultural backgrounds 
would have a chance to communicate the specific needs and conditions in 
their own respective countries. They would also develop stronger networks 
and cooperation with their colleagues from various countries.

"By the end of the congress there will be a resolution and a youth pledge, 
drafted by the participants, on drug abuse prevention," she said.

Referring to the main theme of the congress, Facing the Challenge, Colondam 
stated that drug abuse primary prevention efforts in Indonesia currently 
had three major challenges.

"Our recent survey has shown that eight percent of young people surveyed 
admitted to have experimented with drugs at least once, whereas one out of 
four continued using them. Therefore, our major challenges are to prevent 
the remaining 92 percent of young people from being introduced to drugs, 
suppressing the demand from that eight percent, and, eventually, to turn 
the tide of drugs becoming an accepted part of modern lifestyles," she said.

During the period August 2000 to March 2002 a rapid assessment survey was 
conducted by YCAB in 10 major Indonesian cities, which involved some 3,700 
respondents aged 12 to 19. The researchers discovered that curiosity (48 
percent) and peer influence (32 percent) were the two main reasons why 
respondents used drugs in the first place. Only 18 percent of them listed 
family problems or stress as the reason for their initial involvement with 
drugs.

The results of the survey were quite disturbing, particularly when viewed 
from a wider perspective. With the total of junior and high school students 
at around 15 million, eight percent could mean around 1.2 million of them 
had tried drugs at least once.
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MAP posted-by: Tom