Police, agency target teenage drug abuse

JAKARTA: In a bid to curb teenage drug abuse in Jakarta, city police and the Jakarta Education Agency signed Friday a memorandum of understanding for a joint anti-drug counseling program and campaign.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Wahyono and Education Agency head Taufik Yudi Mulyanto said the program was aimed at intensifying the role of counseling teachers in encouraging students to avoid drugs at high schools.

"As the first step, we will hold a one-month training to introduce the program to all counseling teachers," Wahyono said.

A team of 20 instructors, including psychologists and drug experts from the police, will run the intensive training.

Jakarta Police data shows that 45 percent of drug users in the city are school-age children. - JP