YOUNG MEET TO SEEK SOLUTION TO DRUG

Some 200 drug-free young people from at least 23 countries in the Asia
Pacific region are gathering for the first-ever Asian youth congress on
drug abuse prevention in Sanur, Bali, to seek solutions to rampant drug
abuse among their peers.

Veronica Colondam, chief executive officer of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa
(YCAB), Indonesia's leading non-governmental organization working in drug
abuse prevention, said on Monday that young people should initiate
effective prevention programs for drug abusers.

"There are three reasons why an effective prevention program should be
initiated by the young: they know why their peers are attracted to drugs;
they are in touch with the latest trends in the youth world; they know how
to transmit the message effectively to their peers," Colondam said.

The four-day congress was officially opened by chairman of the National
Narcotics Board (BNN) of Indonesia, General Da'i Bachtiar.

Also present at the congress opening ceremony were patron of YCAB A.M.
Hendropriyono, director of the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program Tay Bian
How, deputy director for demand reduction at the National Drug Control
Policy Executive Office of the president of the USA Dr. Andrea Barthwell,
BNN executive director Nurfaizi and Miss Indonesia 2002 Melania Putria
Dewita Sari.

The congress is jointly organized by the Drug Advisory Programme of the
Colombo Plan, the U.S. Department of State Bureau for International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, BNN and YCAB.

Colondam said that the congress was expected to pave the way for the
establishment of drug abuse primary prevention programs, which were both
specifically devised by and targeted the youth population.

The congress would also serve as a medium through which young people from
the Asia Pacific's diverse political, economic and cultural backgrounds
would have a chance to communicate the specific needs and conditions in
their own respective countries. They would also develop stronger networks
and cooperation with their colleagues from various countries.

"By the end of the congress there will be a resolution and a youth pledge,
drafted by the participants, on drug abuse prevention," she said.

Referring to the main theme of the congress, Facing the Challenge, Colondam
stated that drug abuse primary prevention efforts in Indonesia currently
had three major challenges.

"Our recent survey has shown that eight percent of young people surveyed
admitted to have experimented with drugs at least once, whereas one out of
four continued using them. Therefore, our major challenges are to prevent
the remaining 92 percent of young people from being introduced to drugs,
suppressing the demand from that eight percent, and, eventually, to turn
the tide of drugs becoming an accepted part of modern lifestyles," she said.

During the period August 2000 to March 2002 a rapid assessment survey was
conducted by YCAB in 10 major Indonesian cities, which involved some 3,700
respondents aged 12 to 19. The researchers discovered that curiosity (48
percent) and peer influence (32 percent) were the two main reasons why
respondents used drugs in the first place. Only 18 percent of them listed
family problems or stress as the reason for their initial involvement with
drugs.

The results of the survey were quite disturbing, particularly when viewed
from a wider perspective. With the total of junior and high school students
at around 15 million, eight percent could mean around 1.2 million of them
had tried drugs at least once.