DRUG ABUSE IS LIFE ABUSE

by Loreen Neville
October 2001

Monetary Loyalty, silence amongst thieves, corruption among government officials, prostitution, rampant adultery when men have many wives, wife swapping, fathers who leave children to fend for themselves on the streets, girls pregnant by men their fathers' age. It's the litany of catastrophic social ills in Indonesia. Divorces in the religion courts are filled everyday with weeping women receiving injustices because the men have found some one else. Broken homes and drug abuses are also on the rise.

Implementing and solving corruption, educating men to lead a proper family life and tackling criminal activities in Indonesia is not an easy task. The hugeness of the country, its large population and diverse cultural backgrounds, lack of discipline and laziness are among obstacles that have become significant barriers in communication and in the struggle towards an honest, corruption-free society molded with hard-working citizens; a nation of people working towards equality, peace and prosperity regardless of religion and ethnic heritage.

The abuse of drugs is life abuse. In Indonesia it continues to threaten the lives of young people and the future of society. Burglary, robbery, and violent crime continue to be major problems and the direct causal relationship between drug use and criminal behavior has been clearly established. Addiction, injury, and loss of life are often the effects of abuse. The individual, the family, and all of society are at risk unless we change the prevailing tolerant attitude toward drug usage and become committed to the goal of a drug-free society.

Drug use is no longer the realm of private parties and discotheques or among celebrities, but is also found in schools where students are known to consume shabu shabu (crystal methamphetamine), putauw (a low-grade heroin) and cocaine. The most popular drug is marijuana, preferred by most out-of-school youths and students. Some teens experiment with occasional drug use, but many do end up being addicted. Parents, on the other hand, are also responsible for their children who indulge in drug abuse and they can be accused of failure to keep an eye on the kids. Most fathers are understandably bus with their careers, busy lobbying with political brokers for a position in the government if not busy having extramarital affairs, while mothers are busy if not in the kitchen; it's the "Arisan".

When these parents are questioned in context social problems, they are quick to rebuke that it is their private lives. Although this may be correct however, when another human being is affected and becomes a burden to society, there are grounds for intervention to curb the problems. Many children today are really left on their own and can be easily lead astray. There are teens who cannot cope up with the harsh reality of life or family dilemmas and look to drugs to solve their problems. Unfortunately, they only fall into deeper distress that can eventually entice some of them into becoming petty criminals and prostitutes to sustain their illicit drug consumption. Student gangs, armed with knives and sticks brawl in the streets are also rampant in Indonesia. Principals and the police – even the Ministry of Education – have so far done little to curb student violence on the streets.

Many radicals often blame western culture for its misdeeds of prostitution, drug abuse and so on. This however is not true. Prostitution, drug abuse, smuggling, committing adultery have been all-Asian trends since time was discovered. Secret societies were the insidious norm as Asian Mafias ruled and control the sex and drug trade. From the poppy fields of Cambodia, to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Indonesia. In fact the drugs sold in Indonesia are of a much poorer quality than found in other countries. The pure ingredients have been cut and mixed to make them even more dangerous to the brain and health of the illicit consumer. Abuse of drug use can cause euphoria, slowed thinking and reaction time, confusion, impaired balance and severe coughs, frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning; increased heart rate, anxiety and panic attacks.

According to the report from the National Narcotics Coordinating Board (BKNN), the illicit cultivation of ganja (Cannabis sativa) is still a serious problem for Indonesia. One of the largest areas with high potentials for illicit cultivation is the province of Aceh. This matter becomes more severe with the existence of the rebellious movements of the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or GAM, to separate itself from the central government in Jakarta. The trend of narkoba abuse (the Indonesian term for narcotics, psychotropic and addictive substances), in particular psychotropic substances (popularly known by the names of Ecstasy and shabu-shabu) is always climbing. This was seen from the seizures made at several places that have been used for illicit production. It has become more obvious that Indonesia, formerly a transit area, has become a consumption and marketing hub.

The report also states that the smuggling of heroin is also increasing. Most of these smugglers are African couriers, followed by Asians and Europeans and in a smaller number by Americans and Australians. The attempts to smuggle of chemicals for illegal drug production are mostly performed by registered importers, but also by those that are not registered through manipulating the documents, or without an Import Approval from the Department of Health and Social Welfare, Agency for the Control of Food and Addictive Substances. Indonesia is continuously making serious effort to fight the drug problem from the legal as well as the institutional aspects, the amendment of the Narcotic Law, passing of the Law on Psychotropic Substances, replacing Bakolak Inpres 6/1971 by the National Narcotics Coordinating Board (BKNN) by a President's decree. Support for countermeasures against the drug problem is provided in such guidelines as the "Policies and Strategies to encounter the Abuse and Illicit Trafficking of Drugs and other Dangerous Substances 1993". This was, revised by new guidelines "The Vision, Mission, Policy and Strategy 2000" of the National Narcotics Coordinating Board/BKNN.

According to an expert on the subject, illicit drug consumption has increased throughout the world in recent years, and despite the lack of reliable data, there is enough information to show most of the countries in East Asia are following this rising trend. The prevalence of heroin abuse and serious related health effects are particularly worrisome in the region as is the recent rapid rise in the abuse of synthetic drugs, particularly amphetamine type stimulants (ATS). Abuse problems are most apparent among socially and economically disadvantaged groups including ethnic minorities, unemployed youth, street children, the homeless, prisoners, fishermen, migrant and itinerant workers and commercial sex workers. Drug abuse is also becoming increasingly diverse in terms of the substance used, the characteristics of the user, and the situations in which drug abuse occurs. It is however, estimated that approximately 180 million people use illicit drugs worldwide (4.2% of the population aged 15 and over), with 144 million using cannabis and 28.7 million using amphetamine-type stimulants. There has been a significant increase in the abuse of amphetamines worldwide recently.

Indonesia reportedly has over 1.3 million drug abusers out of its populations of 210 million people. Most drug users and addicts are young, aged between 15 and 35. Indonesian authorities have said that problems of drug abuse in Indonesia have become more severe in the last few years and it's feared a rapid increase in the number of cases could lead to deteriorating conditions and that this nation will suffer a lost generation. Unofficial reports say about Rp3 billion are spent every day in the drug trade. The continued supply and use of illicit drugs remains a major economic, social and political issue for the global community. At least 100,000 people die each year from the abuse of illicit drugs. In addition to the death toll, the abuse of illicit drugs causes untold damage to communities through the destruction of families, corruption of public officials, violence and property crime and the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.

Drug experts and Indonesian authorities have said that in order to answer the complexity of drug abuse problems, it is necessary to have strong human resources capable of good strategic thinking, supported by the best skills in drug addiction prevention and treatment. Indonesia needs a person or group of persons with a pioneering spirit and the qualities and professional standards to meet these challenges. Indonesia has more than 200 Rehab Centers for victims of drug abuse. One of the leading activists against drug abuse is Dr. Mohamad Sarengat, who runs a drug abuse rehabilitation center called Sports Campus Wijaya Kusuma (SCWK in a tiny village located in a plush valley of Mt. Salak.

 

 

 

Wijaya Kusuma Sports Campus or SCWK

The Wijaya Kusuma Sports Campus is one of the leading rehabilitation centers for victims of drug abuse in the country. It provides a comprehensive program of prevention, therapy and rehabilitation. Its vision is the creation of a drug-free young generation of Indonesians through a comprehensive information, education and training program and activities. Its mission is to create awareness about the danger and threats of substance abuse, to encourage people to do preventive work as well as to provide opportunities for drug dependent people to undergo rehabilitation.  

 The man who is leading the fight against Drug Abuse at SCWK is Dr. Sarengat, 61, a former athlete who led Indonesia to fame by breaking the 1962 Asian Games record for the Men's 100 Meters in 10.4 seconds and the Men's 110 meter-hurdle in 14.3 seconds.  Besides his position as Director of SCWK, Dr.Sarengat is also Director of Operations of the giant state-owned sports complex, the Gelora Bung Karno at Senayan. He is happily married with his university-day sweetheart Annie and is blessed with three children, Medi, Sari and Andung.

Dr. Sarengat began his career as an anti-drug activist when his only son Andung, 22, became one of the victims of drug abuse. He said the shock, shame, and pain changed his whole outlook about life and he brought Andung to a rehabilitation center in Malaysia. He learned his first lesson about drug victims: When a member of the family becomes sickened by drug abuse, the whole family becomes sick too.

Three years later, today, Andung has fully recovered and is drug-free. In fact he has joined his father to set up the drug abuse rehabilitation center in the cool, hilly village at the outskirts of Bogor, about an hour’s drive from Jakarta. Sprawling over 5,000 square meters of land in a village nestled in a valley facing Mt. Salak, The natural beauty of the area with its lush green rice padis and the rolling hills make Wijaya Kusuma the perfect place for the center.

Wijaya Kusuma employs the "Therapeutic Community" mode of treatment, which is regarded by experts as the most proven method of substance abuse treatment. Therapeutic communities are residential units in which residents gain progressively higher status and responsibilities as they internalize socially accepted behavior. Individual commitment to the community is emphasized, with senior residents and staff counseling new residents as role models.

The one-year program at Wijaya Kusuma includes a period of induction, the treatment phase, the re-entry phase, and the after-care phase. Facilities provided at the center include education, vocational training, health services, nutrition and dietary care, sports and physical fitness and rebuilding families.

Sports are one of Wijaya Kusuma's strong points. There are basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and martial arts (Merpati Putih) for the residents. An SCWK basketball Cup Tournament among high schools and rehab centers in Jakarta was successfully held last August to encourage the drive of sports against drugs.