Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Suyudi Ario Seto emphasized the importance of strengthening preventive measures from an early age through massive education and cross-sector collaboration, including with schools, families, and the community.
During a working visit to the BNN Office in Surakarta City, here on Thursday, he said that the trend of drug abuse at a young age is an alarm for all parties to strengthen the resilience of the next generation.
"This is a wake-up call for all of us that drug abuse is already targeting young people, so prevention efforts must be strengthened from the outset by involving families, schools, and the community," Seto said, as quoted in a statement confirmed here on Saturday.
In line with this, he emphasized that prevention efforts from an early age need to be continuously strengthened through the National Anti-Narcotics Action Program Starting from Children (ANANDA), which targets the family and school environment as the initial step to protect children from drugs.
The visit, which was carried out with the Head of the Central Java Province BNN, accompanied by the Head of the Surakarta City BNN, was part of an effort to strengthen the performance of work units in the region.
After the visit, the head of the Indonesian BNN held a dialogue with all levels of the Surakarta City BNN.
The open and interactive dialogue discussed the challenges of carrying out tasks in the field as well as the dynamics of problems in handling narcotics in Surakarta, which continue to develop along with changes in patterns of drug distribution and abuse.
During the dialogue, the Surakarta City BNN staff stated that the majority of identified drug users were teenagers.
One case of a teenager known to have a history of drug abuse dating back to elementary school is a serious concern for Seto.
At the end of such a series of activities, Seto motivated all members of the Surakarta City BNN to remain enthusiastic in carrying out their duties.
He emphasized that their role in the regions is very strategic in protecting the community from the threat of narcotics.
He also invited all ranks to continue working with dedication and high integrity to realize a drug-free Indonesia.
