"We ask the candidates currently running for president to pay more attention to drug addicts," chairperson of the Bengkulu branch of the Foundation for Information on Addiction (Kipas), Merli Yuanda, said on Thursday, as reported by kompas.com.

Merli said that even though Law No.35/2009 on narcotics stipulates that drug addicts who are not dealers should undergo medical and social rehabilitation, many were still handed down prison sentences.

"Drug addicts should not be imprisoned because prison is not the right place for them. In fact, they might get even more out of control in prison," Merli said.

Merli added that apart from the Narcotics Law, a formal letter from the Supreme Court No.4/2010 also stipulates that drug addicts should be placed in rehabilitation.

"If the law already stipulates that, why are so many drug addicts still imprisoned? I hoped that the next president can look at this problem more clearly," Merli said.

According to data from 2013, of the total 162,000 inmates and detainees nationwide, more than 54,000 had been convicted of drug offenses.

Previously, National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief Comr. Gen. Anang Iskandar said that the country's combined rehabilitation facilities could only accommodate 18,000 drug addicts annually. However, with the help of several other government bodies, they were trying to prepare facilities to accommodate 89,000 drug addicts annually. (fss)

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