Jakarta teens enlisted in fight against drugs

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 07/02/2008 10:53 AM | Headlines

Asep Suryana, 15, who just graduated junior high school in East Jakarta, recalls the day he found some classmates doing drugs in a school bathroom.

"They were sharing a marijuana joint," he recalled.

Asep decided not only to "just say no", but also to tell his friends to say no.

"I reminded them about the dangers of marijuana," he said.

Asep is among 222 boys and girls, called peer educators, attending a three-day camp that began Tuesday to help spread the anti-drug message among junior high schoolers in Jakarta.

The camp, hosted by World Vision and Wahana Aksi Indonesia, is being held as part of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking, which is commemorated on June 26.

Those in attendance, ranging in age from 12 to 15, are being taught that if they see friends doing drugs there is a third option available -- other than ignoring them or, worse, joining in -- and that is to remind them of the dangers of drugs.

Coming from 21 junior high schools in East and North Jakarta, the young "counselors" are being briefed on health issues and sharing personal experiences with spreading the anti-drug message among peers.

Have these young educators been successful?

"They just ignored me. They said I was showing off," Asep said of his encounter in the school bathroom.

"When I told them twice, they thought that I wanted to pick a fight. So, I had no choice but to step back."

Cindi Widia Lestari, 13, has been called "weird" and a "show-off" for her anti-drug advice.

"Many of my schoolmates don't pay attention to me. But that's OK, I take it as a challenge," she said. "I really want to inform and help friends who need assistance."

The number of recorded drug cases among junior high school students in Indonesia rose from 6,632 in 2006 to 7,486 in 2007, according to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).

The problem may be far worse, with independent observers saying these figures are just the tip of the iceberg for a country with more than eight million junior high schoolers.

Eva Fitri Yuanita from BNN is hopeful the anti-drug message will filter through.

"It can be effective if peers provide the information through 'cool' ways, like school magazines or art festivals," Eva said.

She expressed anxiety over the dangers faced by teenagers on city corners.

"Many street vendors pretending to sell food near schools are actually selling drugs," she said, adding that ecstasy pills were becoming popular among young teens.

She said these vendors often approached groups of students by telling them the pills were vitamins.

The challenge now, Eva said, is for parents and schools to support these young peer educators instead of ignoring an increasingly acute problem out of embarrassment.(trw)

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