Drugs Addicts Should Be Rehabilitated Not Jailed

Posted on Mar 02, 2011

The family member and the defense team of Yoyok “Padi”, the Indonesian drummer who was arrested by the Police for possessing 0.5 gram methamphetamine and drugs paraphernalia last week, has requested that the artist is admitted to rehabilitation instead of jail time as normally faced by drugs offenders in Indonesia.

“The Police must investigate this incident in detail in order to know the depth of the artist involvement. Is he a trafficker or just users? And if he is found to be drugs abuser then in accordance with UU No 35/2009, he has the right to rehabilitation and treatment” says Azis Syamsudin, Commission III member of People Representative in Jakarta.

According to Azis, drugs rehabilitation center plays an important roles to free drugs abusers from their addiction as well as appropriate place to recover physically and mentally. “If these procedures are followed, former drugs abusers can go back to society and function normally and won’t relapsed back into their addiction” says Azis.

“Traffickers and users are two different thing” says Rully Wahyudi from GANNAS

In separate place, the head of Indonesian Anti Drugs Movement (GANNAS), Rully Wahyudi says that people like Yoyok have the right to be given rehabilitation and UU No 35/2009 allows this treatment.

“I see these people as victims of drugs traffickers. The Government needs to provide a more comprehensive plan such as rehabilitation center for them. The problem becomes more complicated when you put drugs users in normal jail and that is not the right solution for them.” says Rully. He added that the Indonesian Drugs Agency (BNN) needs to be more pro active and sensitive in implementing the regulation.

“As a non governmental organization that tries to reduce drugs influence especially in our youth, GANNAS understands fully the danger of these drugs. However, just like when you see someone with a sickness, you take them to hospital or see a doctor. You don’t lock them and throw the key away. It won’t be good for them, it is also not good for the society in general as these people that are really productive in society being shut down” says Rully.

Rully believes that rehabilitating drugs addicts is as good as fighting drugs traffickers. “You need to attack these problems from every side. Go full on one side while neglecting the other is just foolish” says Rully.

Indonesia is known as a country that has a pretty harsh treatment for drugs offenders. These punishments include jail time up to death penalty