•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

The nation’s drug-rehabilitation centers have largely failed to cope with the rising number of drug users and thousands of new facilities need to be built, the National Narcotics Agency said on Monday.

Sumirat Dwityanto, spokesman of the agency, also known as BNN, said there are 150 to 200 rehabilitation centers nationwide treating a maximum of 500 drug users per center.

According to research conducted by the BNN and University of Indonesia, there were 3.6 million drug users nationwide in 2008. Based on the maximum number of patients that one center could accommodate, the country needs to build 7,000 more rehab centers.

The 2009 Law on Narcotics requires the government to help in treating drug users for their addiction.

“This is the challenge to us by the new law that was passed last October, that every drug addict should receive help and not be sent to prison,” Sumirat said.

“We’re trying to be more humane in dealing with drug users, because we realize that they are victims, too, and that they need our assistance.”

The BNN said the number of drug users in 2008 was 11 percent higher than the 3.2 million users recorded in 2004.

Among the country’s metropolitan areas, Jakarta had the most number of drug users with 286,000, followed by Yogyakarta with 68,000 and Maluku with 25,000.

Despite the increase in the overall number of drug users, the BNN said there were fewer users among students.

“Our antidrug programs being carried out in schools have helped to reduce the number of drug users among students from 5.3 percent in 2004 to 4.7 percent in 2008,” Sumirat said.

The programs included seminars and peer group discussions held at various campuses.

“The target of the new law is to reduce the demand for drugs in the country,” he added.

“If we can treat drug addicts, I believe we can also curb the sale of drugs, which can be an effective way to curb drug use.”

While the BNN’s primary project is to rehabilitate drug users, the agency also holds seminars and workshops that tackle the dangers of drug abuse and keeps in contact with the National Police and various law-enforcement agencies to monitor the production and sales of drugs.

I Nyoman Adi Feri, chairman of the National Antidrug Movement (Gannas), welcomed the revised law because it sought to help, not penalize, drug users.

“Officials tend to punish addicts instead of treating them,” Adi Feri said.

“The old law didn’t help to reduce the number of users. We need the cooperation of everyone — the government and the people — to win the battle against drugs.”